Washington Post Skews Poll for ‘The One’

February 8, 2012 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Ethics, Journalism, Media, Media Bias, President, Warner Todd Huston, Washington Post | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Washington Post was very excited to report on Feb. 5 that President Obama has finally achieved “the edge” over Mitt Romney in a “general election matchup” poll. The Post was pleased to note Obama was “boosted by improved public confidence” and that he now led Romney by over 50%. Well, he does if you don’t poll actual voters, anyway and therein lies the major problem with the Post’s polling.

The flaw in the Post’s poll is that they seem to have polled “adults” instead of “likely voters” and this fact calls into question the claim in the headline that “Obama holds edge over Romney in general election matchup.” You see, you have to be an actual voter before your opinion in an “election matchup” much matters but the Post apparently did not make sure that its respondents were actual voters before declaring that Obama is now winning over more voters.

But the bigger problem is the fact that the Post has decided it no longer needs to include the partisan breakdown of its respondents for readers to assess. The Post did not include the percentages of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents in its polling data so there is no way to know if the poll included a fair representation of all parties or if the whole poll was weighted heavy with Democrats.
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VIDEO: Obama Hypocrisy

February 7, 2012 | Filed Under Campaign Finance, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Corruption, Liberals, President, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

Candidate Barack Obama attacking John Edwards in 2007 about spending by outside groups. President Obama, tell your former senior staffer Bill Burton and Priorities USA, Thanks, But No Thanks.

Courtesy of http://citizensunited.org/.

Rick Santorum’s Romneycare Smack Down

February 7, 2012 | Filed Under Conservatives, Elections, GOP, Government, Health, Mitt Romney, Obamacare, President, Republicans, Rick Santorum, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

I think I am an inch away from endorsing Rick Santorum if he keeps this up. I am sure my endorsement will put him over the top, but that aside Santorum has really been standing as the only actual conservative left in the race at this point. His latest triumph occurred in Minnesota where he raked Romney over the coals for Romneycare — something that not enough people are doing.

Santorum’s charge is simple. How can a guy that still to this day defends Romneycare be the one to take the fight over Obamacare to the President? I’ve been saying for three years that Romney is simply unable to be the candidate to refute Obamacare and I am thrilled to see Santorum saying the same.

At his appearance in Rochester, Santorum said, “Gov. Romney is absolutely incapable of making the case against Obamacare successfully.”

“The problem is, we have a candidate who is running and seen by the media as the prohibitive favorite, who is the worst possible person in the field to put up on this most fundamental issue in this campaign, and that is Gov. Romney,” Santorum said. “The plan he put together in Massachusetts is in fact ‘ObamaCare’ on the state level.”

Santorum’s exactly right, too. How can we believe a word Romney says on repealing Obamacre when he still to this day is a huge supporter of Romneycare and its individual mandate? Especially since early in his campaigning for the presidency Romney said that Romneycare was a model for the nation. Especially since one of his chief advisors says that they really aren’t going to repeal Obamacare despite what Romney says on the stump.
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Red Light Cameras: Government’s ‘It’s For Public Safety’ Lie

February 6, 2012 | Filed Under Anti-Semitism, Budget, Cities, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Ohio, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Red light cameras are a mixed bag across the USA. Big cities love them, small cities increasingly less. But one thing is universal where ever they are tried. The whole thing is about revenue generation, not public safety. Most city administrations try desperately to hide their greed behind hoary claims of safeguarding the public, but at least Toledo, Ohio has dispensed with some of that subterfuge and is admitting straight out that making money is a main goal.

Last month Toledo’s finance director told the city council that they were installing 11 new red light cameras with the expectation that the project would “raise” $320,000. What did the city need that new revenue for? More government spending, of course.

Oh, and it’s for the children, too. Toledo Councilman Steve Steel was excited to get the new revenue. “It does restore the biggest thing we were looking for, which was giving kids something constructive to do in a positive atmosphere,” he crowed.

So, now officials will berate you if you stand against these useless devices that are just a means to give government more money to spend on pet projects because, darn it, it’s for the children! WHY do you hate kids, taxpayers?
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Happy 101st Birthday President Reagan: But Today There are ‘Two Visions’

February 6, 2012 | Filed Under Americans For Prosperity, Ronald Reagan, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

(Courtesy of Americans for Prosperity)

Washington, DC – Today Americans for Prosperity, the nation’s premier advocate for economic freedom, released a very special “Happy Birthday” message to honor President Ronald Reagan on his 101st birthday. The 60-second television spot contrasts Reagan’s optimism, prosperity, and belief in freedom with the broken promises and class-warfare rhetoric of President Obama.

Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips said, “On Reagan’s birthday, I can’t help but miss the President more than ever. His vision for America contrasts so sharply with the big-government waste and cronyism that will be the legacy of the Obama Administration.”

Called “Two Visions,” the ad compares and contrasts quotes from the two presidents, showing the stark difference in their view of what America should be.

“It’s important to remind ourselves what a terrific difference a great leader can make in this country,” Phillips continued. “President Reagan knew that free market policies would result in millions of new American jobs, exploding personal incomes, with broad-based prosperity and optimism for our nation. However President Obama’s approach is just the opposite – more taxes, more government, and job killing regulations – all in pursuit of his own liberal ideology.”

The ad culminates with the message: Happy Birthday, President Reagan. We miss your optimism, your love of America, and your belief in the power of freedom. The ad release coincides with social media advertising and grassroots action.

CNNs John King Calls Romney ‘Governor Mormon’

February 5, 2012 | Filed Under CNN, Elections, GOP, Media, Media Bias, Mitt Romney, President, Republicans, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

Talking the Nevada primary, CNN’s John King accidentally called Mitt Romney “Governor Mormon.” If it meaningful? Is it telling? No. But it’s funny.

Courtesy of Mediaite.

West Virginia Sheriff, Clerk Snared in Vote Fraud Investigation

February 4, 2012 | Filed Under Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Ethics, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Regulation, Vote Fraud, Warner Todd Huston, West Virginia | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

A Lincoln County, West Virginia Sheriff and Clerk are to plead guilty to charges of vote fraud in the 2010 Democrat primary after the pair were arrested during an election fraud investigation conducted by state and federal authorities.

Sheriff Jerry Bowman and Clerk Donald Whitten were caught in a scheme to file fraudulent absentee ballots in an effort to get Whitten elected Circuit Clerk. Whitten will also pled guilty to lying to an FBI agent hired by WV Secretary of State Natalie Tennant to investigate the false absentee ballots.

Sheriff Bowman, who is at the tail end of a second term and is term-limited from running again, conspired with Whitten and a thus far unidentified candidate for county commissioner to help Whitten win a close election with the fraudulent absentee ballot scheme.
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Admission: Journalists are Liberals Not Interested in Facts and Truth

February 3, 2012 | Filed Under Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Government, Journalism, Liberals, Media, Media Bias, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Polk Award-Winning Rolling Stone writer Michael Hastings made a startling set of admissions on CSPAN, recently. Not only did he admit that most “journalists” are liberals, but he implied that they really aren’t interested in just reporting the facts of stories. Instead he said they are filled with a liberal “moralistic righteousness” and their goal is to “afflict” those they disagree with.

In the discussion, Hastings laid out how he sees his work as a journalist. “I think any journalist worth his salt often has a real moralistic kind of righteousness to them somewhere in their soul… and we talk in grand terms about ourselves, you know, afflicting the powerful and comforting the afflicted,” he told the CSPAN host.

Not much “objectivity” going on there, is there?

In the video segment featured by Townhall, Hastings is initially asked about his “prestigious” Polk Award and this discussion led CSPAN’s Brain Lamb to ask Hastings about the ideological mindset of Polk Award winners. This brought Hastings to his admission.
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Planned Parenthood vs Women: PP Getting Its Thug On!

February 2, 2012 | Filed Under Abortion, Anti-Americanism, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Liberals, Planned Parenthood, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Recently the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation announced that it was no longer going to be offering funds and grants to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading abortion mill operator. This decision has sent Planned Parenthood over the edge of both sanity and civility with a new fundraising letter that dispenses with its past staid talk about women’s healthcare and goes straight for thuggish threats of retaliation, finger pointing, and attacks on other women.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, a well known breast cancer-fighting charity, decided to withhold further donations to the abortion provider for several reasons, one of which is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation by Congress for violating various state abortion laws.

Last month the Associated Press reported Komen’s new criteria and why it is excluding PP. “Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun said the cutoff results from the charity’s newly adopted criteria barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities,” the report said. “According to Komen, this applies to Planned Parenthood because it’s the focus of an inquiry launched by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., seeking to determine whether public money was improperly spent on abortions.”
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Dear Romneyites, Reagan Was NOT an Abortion Supporter!

February 1, 2012 | Filed Under Abortion, Elections, GOP, Mitt Romney, President, Republicans, Ronald Reagan, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the things that many Romney supporters are using to explain away their decision to ignore Romney’s many flip flops is Ronald Reagan’s one-time support for abortion and his signing of the Therapeutic Abortion Act as governor of California in 1967. But this comparison is a non sequitur. Reagan’s support of that abortion bill and his subsequent turn against it is less like a flip flop than Romney’s about face on the issue. In fact, a review of the two men’s record on abortion makes Romney look worse for the effort, not at all “just like Reagan.”

The first thing to realize about Reagan’s 1967 signing of the California abortion bill was that the whole national debate on abortion was, if you will, in its infancy. It was then not much of a national issue. The arguments for and against abortion had not crystallized into the well-worn positions we now know so well. After all, Roe v Wade wasn’t to catapult the issue to national prominence until 1973.

When this bill came before him in 1967, Reagan was admittedly unsure of what to do with the thing. He dithered for a long time before finally signing the bill because he simply had never given much thought to the issue. He quickly regretted placing his signature on the bill and firmly decided that hence forth he would be pro-life. He never supported an outright pro-abortion measure again.
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Can’t We All Just Get Along? Is All This Primary Fighting Good?

January 31, 2012 | Filed Under Conservatives, Elections, GOP, Government, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, President, Republicans, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Warner Todd Huston | 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The campaign for the GOP nomination is really getting hot in Florida. The hard campaigning has caused a lot of bemoaning over the attacks going on between Mitt Romney, his ads and the ads sponsored by his super PAC, and Newt Gingrich’s own attacks. Everyone is concerned that this mudslinging and in fighting may be hurting the GOP. But is it?

Well, relax, everyone. There is nothing unusual going on here. What we are witnessing is really nothing different than we’ve ever seen in this country. In fact, some may recall the viciousness between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in 2007. But memories fade all too quickly and too many jump to this momentary feeling that things are worse now, that today’s political climate pales in comparison to vague, past golden ages that never existed.

All this fighting is a good thing. From it we get to see issues debated in immediate and passionate ways that mere, dispassionate debate will not show us. Sure it’s raucous, loud, maybe a bit unseemly, even. But compared to what our nation’s enemies want to do to us, this is weak brew and if we have candidates that can’t stand up to a few TV ads, then how badly will the wilt in the face of real challenge when in office?
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OCCUPY GENIUSES (The Constitution vs. Southern Occupiers)

January 31, 2012 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Business, Capitalism, Communism, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Liberals, President, Socialism, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston, Washington D.C. | No Comments

Van Jones promised back in November that the Occupy gang will put up over 2,000 candidates for election in 2012. After AIM’s Ben Johnson did some man-on-the-street pop quizzes in the south this past week, we sure hope they come through on Jones’ promise. Ladies and gentlemen: we present to you the fruits of public school social studies programs.

In the meantime, is the Silliness Coming to an End? Occupy DC gets its eviction notice…

… naturally they are communists and anarchists.

Obama Set to Cost Each of Us Hundreds a Year in Higher Electric Costs

January 31, 2012 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, EPA, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Liberals, President, Regulation, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Barack Obama’s avalanche of needless regulations on coal-fueled power plants are going into effect and the net result will be the closing of hundreds of power plants all across the country just when our need for power is increasing. This will absolutely necessitate the cost of our power to skyrocket. But, this is exactly what he wants. He wants to rape us for our power. He said so from the beginning.

Well, now that he’s had the opportunity to put into place just some of the new rules and regulations he wants — and he’s only pushed through a tiny bit of what he really wants, indeed — we are already seeing the results of his attack on us.

Look to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland where six coal-fueled power plants are being shut down by FirstEnergy because the retrofitting the power plants will have to undergo to satisfy Obama’s whims is just too expensive to justify.
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After Billions in Federal Bailouts, Now GM Lobbying States for More?

January 30, 2012 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Capitalism, Communism, Crony Capitalism, Democrats/Leftists, Detroit, Economy/Finances, Ethics, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Liberals, President, Regulation, Socialism, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

How much bailing out does one company need? (The correct answer is none, of course) After receiving some $50 billion in tax dollars from us courtesy of Obama’s “cash stash,” GM is claiming success with a “Obama claimed that GM was “back on top as the world’s number one automaker.” But true or not, if all is coming up roses for GM why is the company now lobbying the individual states for mini bailouts?

That is exactly what is happening. The new “big success” automaker is spending millions hiring lobbyists to squeeze more millions out of state legislatures. As Justin Owen notes, GM has “turned to another, smaller government teat,” by putting its hand out to the states. GM, Owen says, “has received another $1.7 billion in taxpayer-funded grants and tax abatements.”

This is no accident of timing, either. GM admitted to the Tennessee Watchdog that begging to the states for tax dollars is a concerted effort.
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CBS Featured No Pro-Lifers in Photo Essay About Pro-Life Rally

January 30, 2012 | Filed Under Abortion, CBS, Journalism, Media, Media Bias, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

If you want a case of clear bias, the Washington D.C. affiliate of CBS will surely fill the bill for its bias against pro-life supporters. On January 23 the DC affiliate featured on its website a photo slide show of pictures taken at the March for Life rally held annually at the nation’s capitol. Curiously, though, there wasn’t a single photo of any pro-lifers. Instead the photo essay featured only photos of abortion-supporting protestors that stood on the sidelines taunting the pro-life marchers.

The photo slide show initially featured seven photos of abortion supporters such as one of marchers holding signs saying “Family Planning Saves Lives Worldwide,” one featuring women holding signs saying that abortion should be kept legal, and another showing a woman sporting an abortion on demand sticker.

Upwards to 50,000 pro-life supporters turned out in the DC cold to participate in the March for Life, yet apparently CBS could only find the small handful of pro-abortion supporters to photograph.
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KTS WEEK IN REVIEW: Can Newt Beat Romney in Florida?

January 30, 2012 | Filed Under Talk Radio, Warner Todd Huston, William J. Kelly | No Comments

On This Week’s Episode: Poor Steve Dahl is still waiting on the phone while fearless (but deathly ill!) reporter William J. Kelly and co-host Warner Todd Huston talk all things Newt Gingrich. Can he still pull off a Florida win? Or will the Romney money ad machine make mincemeat of him? Bill and Warner also talk with Sangamon County Republican Chairman Tony Libri about the legendary Sangamon County Lincoln Day Dinner and their special guest rocker and conservative extraordinaire Ted Nugent. Then Bill gets talked into taking on the American Lung Association’s Fight for Air Climb. How did he get roped into it? Just ask American Lung Association spokesperson and former Miss Illinois Katie Lorenz. Why does it always come down to a woman?

DOWNLOAD PODCAST HERE.

Want more Kelly Truth Squad? Our Radios shows are archived at kellytruthsquad.libsyn.com. Please, go check them out and download some today.

PG&E Wants Higher Rates Even While Collecting Millions for Improvements Never Made?

January 28, 2012 | Filed Under Budget, Business, California, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Energy, Ethics, Government, Liberals, Los Angeles, Natural Gas, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Since the several disastrous accidents that claimed the lives of too many Californians, Pacific Gas & Electric has been fighting criticism over its dismal safety record. In response, the energy provider cried poor and said it needed billions for upgrades and repairs and wanted ratepayers to pay even more for its services. But a new report says that PG&E collected millions from ratepayers for repairs and improvements that it never actually made.

Early last year PG&E got a large rate increase, but by August the energy provider was at it again asking for an additional $2.2 billion for upgrades, repairs, and improving its explosion-prone delivery system, a cost to be born on the backs of the ratepayers.

This January, though, the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) reported that PG&E has already collected half a billion dollars that was supposed to go to these repairs and upgrades yet the repairs were never made.
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Wisconsin School Punishes Christian Kid for Being a… Christian Kid

January 27, 2012 | Filed Under 1st Amendment, Anti-Americanism, Christianity, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Education, Ethics, Free Speech, Freedom, Government, Government, Corruption, Hate Crimes, Liberals, Liberty, Regulation, Religion, Warner Todd Huston, Wisconsin | 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Superintendent Todd Carlson of Shawano High School in Shawano, Wisconsin is sorry a student observed his First Amendment rights and had his article published in the school newspaper that denounces homosexuals adopting children. And so Superintendent Carlson is making amends by punishing this Christian kid for being so darn Christian. Superintendent Carlson has also decided in his infinite wisdom to censure this article by having it sent down the memory hole so that no one else will be confronted with this evil Christian’s views.

That’ll show that darn Christian kid, won’t it?

The article, “Should Homosexual Partners Be Bale to Adopt?,” was written by Brandon Wegner who was assigned the task of writing a counter-point to another student’s pro-homosexual adoption article. The piece was then published as an insert in the school newspaper, the Shawano Leader.

Shortly after the newspapers containing the insert were distributed, Superintendent Carlson issued a formal apology to the school and parents, removed the insert from surplus issues of the paper, and censured young Mr. Wegner claiming his article violated the school’s “anti-bullying” policy.
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So What About that Pre-Florida Republican Debate?

January 27, 2012 | Filed Under Conservatives, Elections, GOP, Government, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, President, Republicans, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Instead of rehashing the whole January 26 Republican debate, I think it would be easier for me to post here all my Tweets from my live tweet of the debate. Some were fun, some serious and at the end I pass my judgment of how well the participants did. Below you’ll see my tweets, some with comments in parenthesis to put the tweet in context.

Aaaand here we go…

Opening Statements

I hear that Mitt Romney’s Super PAC said that Newt attacked the National Anthem in Reagan’s era!
(Rick says his mother lives in Florida) Uh oh, Rick’s Mommy is a carpetbagging snowbird. Now I cannot vote for him!
I’m Ron Paul… now GET OFFA MY LAWN YOU KIDS.
CNN’s first question:”Mr. Santorum, if you were a tree, what sort of tree would you be you racist creep?” OK, jess joking

Immigration Questions

(On the immigration ad about Romney) Didn’t Newt have that ad axed? Now he’s supporting it? Odd.
(Mitt’s Solution)It’s a little late to just “follow the law,” Mitt. We’ve already made a mess of that.
Mitt: “Our problem isn’t 11 million grandmothers.” Applause. That was a good one, Mitt!
(Questions back and forth between Newt and Mitt for quite some time) I think Santorum and Paul are now in the green room having a snack. Its the Mitt Newtny show!
(CNN goes to the Hispanic conference for a question) CNN gives Hispanics their own debate watching room? El separata but equalo?
Paul: “Cuba should be our buddies!” To heck with worrying over gulags and political prisoners. So last century, right Ronnie?
Does Ron Paul realize that supporting Castro in Miami is probably a bad political move?

Conservatives: Occupy Wall Street Shows How We Can’t Get Our Message Out Over Old Media Din

January 26, 2012 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Business, Capitalism, Communism, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Journalism, Liberals, Media, Media Bias, New York City, President, Socialism, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The gauzy puffery that the Old Media slathers upon the Occupy Wall Street movement has helped keep most Americans in the dark about how nasty, how violent, how outrageous, and even how incredibly lacking in integrity this movement is. On the conservative blogs the truth is well known, of course, but the fact that few Americans seem to know how bad the OWSers are shows that as conservatives we are not effectively getting our message out there.

For the initial two years of its existence the Old Media spent its every waking moment destroying, maligning, and out right lying about the Tea Party movement. Even today you’ll see an occasional swipe at the Tea Patiers made by some hater from the left and the Old Media is happy to “report” the slander, naturally.

You might remember when Obama operative Anna Park tried to start a counter movement that she prosaically called “the Coffee Party” during the heyday of the Tea Party. You may also recall that those Old Media mavens, while daily lying and lambasting the Tea Partiers, fell all over themselves to play up the silly and quickly failed and forgotten “Coffee Party” effort.
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Rep. Walsh Schools National Park Service Director About Occupy DC

January 25, 2012 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Jobs, Joe Walsh, Liberals, Republicans, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Why does the National Park Service think they should treat Occupy DC with kid gloves? Because they have “occupy” in their name… er… something. At least that is according to the head of the National Park Service, Jonathan B. Jarvis.

8th District Congressman Joe Walsh (R, ILL) wonders why Park Service personnel are not just tolerating the OWSers but actively assisting them and giving them aid for their protests!

Are we paying our taxes so that the Park Service can become part of an anti-American protest movement? Apparently we are.

Congressman Walsh did a great job showing that these OWSers are not something to be coddled.

(H/T Marathon Pundit)

Chicago Sun-Times Shows White Flag: No More Political Endorsements

January 25, 2012 | Filed Under Chicago Sun-Times, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Government, House of Representatives, Journalism, Liberals, Media, Media Bias, President, Senate, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Chicago Sun Times has received your message loud and clear, dear readers. As much as admitting that they are biased and they know it, the long-time Windy City staple has decided that hence forth it will no longer endorse candidates for political office.

In a Sunday editorial, the 71-year-old paper announced its new policy amusingly touting the Old Media’s party line that it engages in “unbiased news coverage” and that newspapers today wish to “appeal to the widest possible readership.”

“They want to inform you, not spin you,” the editorial avers. Yet, the editorial goes on to admit that it has heard from readers who seriously doubt that dedication to unbiased news coverage. And when you note that over the last several decades few national news papers have endorsed a Republican for President — most especially the left-leaning Chicago Sun-Times — it is easy to doubt that purported dedication to just-the-facts reporting.
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SOTU Speech: Same Old, Same Old Obama Failure

January 25, 2012 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Education, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Liberals, President, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

If you thought the 2012 State of the Union was very similar to President Obama’s past State of the Union speeches, you were right…

Video courtesy of www.gop.com/

Cut the Spending NOW, Washington

January 24, 2012 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Budget, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Harry Reid, House of Representatives, Liberals, President, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Video, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

We are 1,000 without the Democrat controlled Senate authorizing a budget. Worse, the President’s party hasn’t ben offered a budget tis whole time, even back when they controlled the House, the Senate and the White House.

It’s long past time to stop the spending and get serious about our deficit, Washington.

Video courtesy of BankruptingAmerica.org.

Restoring American Exceptionalism – Chicago Townhall

January 24, 2012 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Budget, Chicago, Children, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, Education, Ethics, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Jobs, Liberals, President, Public Employees Unions, Radio, Republicans, Rights, School Choice, Senate, Talk Radio, Taxes, Teachers Unions, Unions, Vouchers, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

I just got back from a wonderful evening taking school choice at the Restoring American Exceptionalism, Chicago Townhall. In attendance were radio talk show host Michael Medved, Fox News contributor Juan Williams, and Dr. Paul Worfel, Director of Education of Trinity International University. The discussion was moderated by John Tillman of the Illinois Policy Institute.

The event was sponsored by National School Choice Week, an effort by Americans for Prosperity, and is one of many events being held across the country to encourage parents, legislators, and activists to work toward allowing parents a choice in their children’s education. Co-sponsors were Townhall.com, Salem Radio Networks, and Chicago’s WIND Radio, AM 560

Arriving at the sprawling campus of Trinity International University of Deerfield, Illinois, the biting cold outside was quickly forgotten by the warm reception all received by the event staff. The program started promptly with an introduction by local radio host Big John Howell of AM 560, WIND radio who turned the program over to John Tillman of the Illinois Policy Institute.

The night’s debate was nicely balanced from right, center and left with a panel featuring the conservative side of the debate on education represented by talk show host Michael Medved, the center represented by Fox News contributor Juan Williams, and the more traditional educrat’s position taken by Dr. Worfel.

I won’t repeat the whole discussion, but here are some of the more interesting (and some might say provocative) highlights.
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Guilt By Association Used by Old Media Only to Hurt Republicans

January 23, 2012 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Journalism, Liberals, Media, Media Bias, Politico, President, Republicans, Scott Walker, The New York Times, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last week two political operatives were arrested in separate incidents, one Democrat and one Republican. It certainly isn’t news that political operatives sometimes break the law, but how the different incidents were reported is typical of how the Old Media establishment uses guilt by association to tar Republicans but rarely does the same thing to take swipes at Democrats.

The similarity in the two stories is that both of the accused are former staffers of high profile politicians. The Democrat was an Obama campaign staffer while the Republican was a staffer of the Republican Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker. Neither currently works for those high profile pols, but only the Republican was linked to his former boss. The Democrat’s link to Obama was mostly ignored by the media.

Story One: Some Guy Arrested

We’ll begin with the tale of Iowa Democrat operative Zachary Edwards who tried to steal the identity of a rival Republican in order to use that identity to get the Republican in trouble.

Edwards tried to use the identity of Iowa Secretary of State, Republican Matt Schulz (and/or Schultz’s brother) to illegally obtain some sort of state benefits so that he could then claim that the Republicans were illegally obtaining state benefits. This Edwards fellow hoped he could smear the GOP Sec. of State as engaging in some sort of unethical behavior. (The Iowa Republican blog has more on the fight between Schultz and Iowa Democrats)

Now, as it happens Edwards is not only a member of a politically connected Democrat consulting firm, Link Strategies — a company with long-standing ties to powerful Iowa Democrat Senator Tom Harkin — but Edwards was also a member of Obama’s Iowa team in 2007/08. Edwards’ bio has since been scrubbed from the Link Strategies page but read in part, “In September 2007, Zach joined the Obama New Media department as co-director of the Nevada New Media team and then moved on to direct New Media operations in five other primary states (New Mexico, Texas, North Carolina, and South Dakota).”

For a screen shot of Edwards memory-holed bio from the Link Strategy site, see the Iowa Grounds blog.

So, how was Edwards’ arrest reported? For one thing, it was hard to find Edwards’ Democrat affiliation and his past role as a top Obama campaign staffer in stories of this incident.
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CBS This Morning Losing to Fox And Friends?

January 20, 2012 | Filed Under Atlanta, Cable, CBS, Chicago, Detroit, Entertainment, Fox News, Hollywood, Media, TV, Uncategorized, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Apparently it is not morning in America for CBS. The big network roll out of its revamped morning show, CBS This Morning, is struggling to gain a foothold. It’s so bad that even the Fox News’ morning show, Fox and Friends, is beating the network morning extravaganza. In Chicago, Fox and Friends even beat the debut episode of CBS This Morning despite the fact that Gayle King, a long-time Oprah confidante, was one of the main features of the program.

In fact, CBS This Morning isn’t even beating its own former iteration when it was called The Early Show. The new show is down 10 percent in total viewers and down 13 percent in the key demo of 25-45 year-old viewers. Interestingly, Fox and Friends is beating CBS in four of the top 20 national markets in total viewers (Atlanta, Detroit, Orlando, and Tampa).

Market	Fox And Friends (P2+)	CBS This Morning (P2+)
Atlanta	30,000	17,000
Detroit	19,000	12,000
Tampa	40,000	30,000
Orlando	23,000	19,000

Period	Dates	Program	P2+ AA(000)	% Diff	24-54 AA(000)	% diff
CBS This Morning Launch	1/9/12 to 1/15/12	CBS This Morning	2718		1115
Same Week 2011	1/10/11 to 1/16/11	Early Show	3016	-10%	1287	-13%

(Stats from Nielson)

It should be remembered that Fox News cable channel reaches just over 102 million homes whereas CBS ostensibly gets to 100 percent of the 116 million homes with TVs. Since CBS is one of the “big three” original TV networks, it is interesting that a cable channel has seen such an amazing success rate for its early morning show.
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VIDEO: ‘Change has come,’ Alright! But How Good Has it Been?

January 20, 2012 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Elections, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Jobs, Liberals, Money, President, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | 2 Comments

In 2008, President-elect Barack Obama announced that change had come to America. After three years, the results of that change make many Americans ready to change it back.

And here is a great for-instance of how the Old Media establishment is covering for their Obammessiah. Let’s get in the way back machine and recall how the price of gas was used as a sledgehammer with which to beat George W. Bush about the head. Remember how it was front page news on a daily basis? Well now gas has lingered at highs that it never stayed at during the Bush years and now analysts are saying gas will reach to $4 a gallon this year — an all time high.

Where is the media on this story? Why isn’t it as big a deal as it was 5 and 6 years ago? Ah, yes. We have The One in office. Gosh. How could I forget that the Old Media doesn’t want negative stories about their messiah? Silly me.

Courtesy AllAmericanBlogger.com

We Finally Didn’t Rank as Worst: Chicago 14th Rudest City

January 20, 2012 | Filed Under Chicago, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Ethics, Government, Illinois, Liberals, PCism, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston, Western Civilization | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Finally. Illinois isn’t coming in as the absolute worst of something. This time is is rudest American city as ranked by Travel and Leisure magazine.

Chicago did rank into the top 20 rudest cities, but the Windy City — apparently “windy” for all the yelling at people a’going on — slides in outside the top ten at slot 14. Not bad. Even some southern cities are supposedly worse than Chi-Town.

Here is what T&A says:

Chicago

Can these not-so-sunny midwesterners blame their demeanor on those frigid winters? If you want to get Chicagoans to warm up, try complimenting their city — by pointing out that you love their music scene or find their pizza much preferable to that thin New York stuff. Chicago ranked fourth for its glowing civic pride.

So, for a welcome change, Illinois has something going that doesn’t put us in the worst of the worst category. Finally!
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Indiana Democrats Fleebagging Again, Abandoning Their Jobs

January 19, 2012 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Elections, Ethics, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Indiana, Jobs, Liberals, Mitch Daniels, Public Employees Unions, Republicans, Right To Work, Senate, Teachers Unions, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Once again Indiana Democrats are playing the fleebagger game. Because they don’t have enough votes in the Indiana Statehouse, Hoosier Democrats are abandoning their rightful duties and fleeing the Capitol over Indiana’s right-to-work bill currently under consideration in Indianapolis.

Indiana Senate Bill 269 and House Bill 1001 would make it illegal to require workers in Indiana to join a union as a condition of being allowed to have a job. Allowing workers a choice seems like an inherently American idea, doesn’t it?

After all, how could anyone tell you that you must belong to a union or you’re not allowed to have your job? That sort of forced association seems so contrary to the American character. But forcing people to join unions just so that they can have a job is precisely what Indiana Democrats are fighting to protect.
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