POST Double Standards

Media Matters blasts the Post for glaring double-standards. When no credible charges had been made against Clinton, the Post called for a special counsel. Not so with Bush, even though clearly his administration lied to congress about the purge of US Attorneys.

“Considerably less surprising is that the Post’s editorial page once again refuses to hold the Bush administration to the standard it applied to the Clinton administration. In 1994, the Post insisted on a special counsel to investigate the Clintons even in the absence of a single credible charge against them because the Post thought it impossible for a Justice Department to conduct a credible investigation of a president. But today, faced with a burgeoning scandal that involves not only the president and top White House aides but also the Department of Justice itself, the Post still does not demand the appointment of an outside investigator.”

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POST Double Standards

Media Matters blasts the Post for glaring double-standards. When no credible charges had been made against Clinton, the Post called for a special counsel. Not so with Bush, even though clearly his administration lied to congress about the purge of US Attorneys.

“Considerably less surprising is that the Post’s editorial page once again refuses to hold the Bush administration to the standard it applied to the Clinton administration. In 1994, the Post insisted on a special counsel to investigate the Clintons even in the absence of a single credible charge against them because the Post thought it impossible for a Justice Department to conduct a credible investigation of a president. But today, faced with a burgeoning scandal that involves not only the president and top White House aides but also the Department of Justice itself, the Post still does not demand the appointment of an outside investigator.”

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Talk Show Right Wing Tilt

People are beginning to notice rightwing dominance on the Sunday talk shows.

“During the 109th Congress (2005 and 2006), Republicans and conservatives held the advantage on every show, in every category measured. All four shows interviewed more Republicans and conservatives than Democrats and progressives overall, interviewed more Republican elected and administration officials than Democratic officials, hosted more conservative journalists than progressive journalists, held more panels that tilted right than tilted left, and gave more solo interviews to Republicans and conservatives.”

Imagine that.

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What Liberal Media?

There they go again. McCain and Clinton both reversed themselves on ethanol. But guess which one gets the rap in the Washington Post? You guessed it. Here’s more from The Daily Howler:

“Have Hillary Clinton and John McCain reversed their stands on ethanol subsidies? Yes, both hopefuls have done just that —but so freakin’ what? The giant photo atop this report features Clinton alone —not McCain. And Shailagh Murray’s 23-paragraph “news report” devotes 21 paragraphs to Clinton —and only two to Saint John McCain. “

They’re just getting started, folks.

What Liberal Media?

There they go again. McCain and Clinton both reversed themselves on ethanol. But guess which one gets the rap in the Washington Post? You guessed it. Here’s more from The Daily Howler:

“Have Hillary Clinton and John McCain reversed their stands on ethanol subsidies? Yes, both hopefuls have done just that —but so freakin’ what? The giant photo atop this report features Clinton alone —not McCain. And Shailagh Murray’s 23-paragraph “news report” devotes 21 paragraphs to Clinton —and only two to Saint John McCain. “

They’re just getting started, folks.

Carter’s Greatness

With the Mighty Wurlitzer spinning away, we sometimes lose track of the truth. The truth is, according to American President: An Online Reference Resource, President Jimmy Carter was one of the most successuful presidents we’ve seen:

“Carter gained a reputation for political ineptitude, even though his actual record in dealing with Congress belied that image. His success rate in getting presidential initiatives through Congress was much higher than that of his predecessors Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, and successors Reagan and Bush. One might expect a president with a majority in Congress to do better than presidents facing the opposition party majorities. But Carter was also close to Johnson’s success rates, and higher than Kennedy’s record. Carter did not like to bargain and appeared arrogant and aloof, but at the end of the day, he usually wound up with much of what he sought from Congress. His major problem was that the perception of his leadership did not correspond with the reality of his performance.” [emphasis added]

You won’t read about this in the NYTIMES or in the Post, but American President: An Online Reference Resource presents “In-depth information reviewed by prominent scholars on each President and administration.”

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Pitiful US Media

Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake blasts our shameful media:

“It’s hard to think back on [Dan] Rather’s history and his iconic moments with Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush and think of him in the same breath with anyone else out there today — if the Libby trial made one thing clear, it is that nobody is willing to ask George Bush or Dick Cheney the hard questions that need to be asked, and worse yet they don’t seem to feel any shame for their failure to do so. It’s hard to be embarrassed for people who don’t have the good sense to be embarrassed for themselves.”

How do they look themselves in the mirror?

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Carter’s Greatness

With the Mighty Wurlitzer spinning away, we sometimes lose track of the truth. The truth is, according to American President: An Online Reference Resource, President Jimmy Carter was one of the most successuful presidents we’ve seen:

“Carter gained a reputation for political ineptitude, even though his actual record in dealing with Congress belied that image. His success rate in getting presidential initiatives through Congress was much higher than that of his predecessors Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, and successors Reagan and Bush. One might expect a president with a majority in Congress to do better than presidents facing the opposition party majorities. But Carter was also close to Johnson’s success rates, and higher than Kennedy’s record. Carter did not like to bargain and appeared arrogant and aloof, but at the end of the day, he usually wound up with much of what he sought from Congress. His major problem was that the perception of his leadership did not correspond with the reality of his performance.” [emphasis added]

You won’t read about this in the NYTIMES or in the Post, but American President: An Online Reference Resource presents “In-depth information reviewed by prominent scholars on each President and administration.”

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Pitiful US Media

Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake blasts our shameful media:

“It’s hard to think back on [Dan] Rather’s history and his iconic moments with Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush and think of him in the same breath with anyone else out there today — if the Libby trial made one thing clear, it is that nobody is willing to ask George Bush or Dick Cheney the hard questions that need to be asked, and worse yet they don’t seem to feel any shame for their failure to do so. It’s hard to be embarrassed for people who don’t have the good sense to be embarrassed for themselves.”

How do they look themselves in the mirror?

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Newspapers Drop Coulter

Jamison Foser, of Media Matters writes a compelling piece on the nastiness we’re seeing from Coulter, Down, Mattews, & gang:

“The MSM’s failure to properly convey the extent of Ann Coulter’s bigotry, nastiness, and irresponsibility hasn’t resulted in her being ‘marginalized’ — it has helped her become an icon of the right without any accountability for the conservative movement that embraces her. Coulter’s column, receptacle of much of her hate speech, appears in numerous newspapers across the country. Media Matters, outraged emailers — 834 by one editor’s count — and others have begun to put a real dent in her reach. Yesterday, we posted a list of papers running her column, as well as their email addresses, and the parade of op-ed pages announcing that they are dropping her is growing almost by the hour.”

Let’s hope in 2008 we have an election on the issues and not a rehash of the vile rightwing smears we’ve seen since seeminly forever.