By Jamal

September 2, 2008 11:46 PM | Link to this

Alice er Sydney, How about a Dirty Sanchez?

By Alice

September 2, 2008 11:29 PM | Link to this

PS: Although I agree that families should be off limits, I find this funny coming from the campaign of a presidential candidate who once joked, “Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno.”

By Alice

September 2, 2008 11:24 PM | Link to this

TRS: First, in your response to Mike, I agree that the experience argument is a stupid one for dems to use as an offense; as someone who is not excited about career politicians, I think Palin and Obama both have spent an adequate amount of time in government to at least understand how it works. My only apprehension regarding Palin’s experience would be on foreign affairs but it wouldn’t be a game changer for me if I supported her or McCain on the issues. In response to your response to me: First, I am not trying to convince anyone that there might not be more of a liberal bias in some MSM and nowhere did I argue that. As I have stated before, I would prefer there be no bias of any kind in reporting the hard news. In regards to the newspaper I work for, being a small community paper, specializes in soft news (i.e. chicken noodle dinner at the VA). Sadly, there is a bias not only on our opinion pages, but also on how much campaigns are covered. Small, community papers work on a bare bones staff with maybe one editor, a couple of writers and a couple of people who lay it out. Multiple editors and copywriters and proofreaders are a thing of the past due to declining revenue. Often, a publisher’s and an editor’s position is combined to save money, creating even more of a conflict of interest. In regards to the MSM (usually attributed to CNN, Fox News and MSNBC), I concede that MSNBC leans left and Fox News leans right. Although I don’t think CNN offers the “hard news” we keep referring to, I think it is the most unbiased of either of the previously mentioned networks. Of non-cable news programs that really do report the “hard news”, not just politics, I think it’s pretty hard to be biased when they report on something that isn’t political (FYI, I watch PBS or Cspan). What I find unfortunate is that on all the MSM cable news networks, not just “liberal” ones, the hosts in primetime are all commentators, in one way or another. They (FOX, CNN & MSNBC) all depend on ratings and we drive those ratings. We the people would rather see the opinion based “news” more than the real boring stuff and WE need to take responsibility for that. As for talk radio, Rush anyone? As for the major print media (NYT), their circulation in April dropped to the lowest ever, 1,077,256. The Drudge Report, on the other hand, had 26,782,478 hits in the last 24 hours. You do the math. In today’s opinion-obsessed world, more people are being influenced by the internet and talk radio than anywhere and people that do tune in to the MS cable news networks are doing so not because they have a genuine desire to be informed but because they are opinion-obsessed. TRS, my point was not that there is no bias in the media, but to whine whine whine that it is all one-sided is ridiculous. The more the right whines about the MSM, the more they justify the creation of even more “conservative” outlets. Believe me, there is no person more passionate about the influence the media has played on degenerating our society than me but people can’t keep blaming liberal hosts without also blaming the Sean Hannitys and the Bill O’Reillys and we certainly can’t overlook our own contributions as tabloid obsessed Americans. Sorry for the tirade, I don’t care that someone disagrees with me but I don’t like to be misrepresented. PS, as for how I would feel as a mother, I can say that I am a mother of a daughter and although I hope she makes better decisions for her life, I know that is not always how it works out. I also know that I wouldn’t make a decision to put myself and my family in the national spotlight during that difficult time.

By TRS

September 2, 2008 8:13 PM | Link to this

Mike - Turns out Gov Palin did not belong to AIP as billed. She also didn’t work for Buchanan; rather, she supported Forbes so the liberal bloggers did get it wrong. The reality is we don’t know much about her and some of the stuff coming out is generated by people who want to destroy her because she did give the Republicans a real lift. As for the experience stuff, come on! Obama has never managed anything in his life except perhaps his personal finances. He was a neighborhood organizer, a state senator and for 173 days a US Senator. Then both have thin resumes. It should be noted the Lady Thacher of England had very little foreign policy experience; yet, her and President Reagan were instrumental in winning the cold war. Lets face it - in either case, both surround themselves with experts and they have to make the call based on their judgment. Based on what I’ve heard I’m not sold on Senator Obama’s judgment - it reminds me of Jimmy Carter, truly the worst President of mt lifetime.

By TRS

September 2, 2008 7:35 PM | Link to this

Alice - I’ve got to say I’m really disappointed. The one bastian of decency the media had left was to leave the families out of it, providing they didn’t inject themselves, ie spouses, etc. To their credit the legacy media did not go near Chelsea and the Bush twins; yet, the NYT runs 3 front page stories above the fold and more throughout the paper incorporating the subject of her daughter’s pregnancy. Do you really think that appropriate? Would you want your child, your niece, your nephew or anyone else placed under that scrutiny? Will anyone decent ever run for public office again if that is the case? Should we start digging into the grades of Senator Obama’s daughters and publicize anytime they misbehave? Of course not. The issues you note about Senator Obama were limited to him, the candidate. I don’t doubt what you say about the publication you worked for; however, did they tell you to distort the hard news or were they simply exercising their privilege as editors? If your going to try and sell anyone on the fact that the MSM is not liberal and not in the tank for Obama you have a very tough sell indeed as even some from your own party has acknowledged this. The commentators on radio bill themselves as just that, commentators, and make no secret of their political views. The bloggers - the same. So do the editors of newspaper; but, they have always seperated their editorial comments and political views from their stories. Tell me, what was newsworthy about Sarah Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy to appear so prominently in the NYT? Was it newsworthy enough to be thrown out there, almost relished as a big deal? If you think so, then I’m sorry to hear that for if that begins the next logical step for journalism is to National Enquirer status.

By Alice

September 2, 2008 5:40 PM | Link to this

To Pete er, I mean, Jamal: you are an ignorant bigot.

By alice

September 2, 2008 5:35 PM | Link to this

I am sick of the right whining about the MSM. What about the conservative slant on all the community papers? Talk Radio? Internet? There are a fair share of liberal sites, but they don’t call Politico, drudge, daily kos, townhall (there are too many to name) conservative for nothing! I work for a small-town newspaper, owned by a publishing company that is headed by a former Republican congressman. This company owns 50+ newspapers across four states. Our editors received an email before the 2004 election stating that our editorial staffs were forbidden from endorsing ANY democrat and our only options were to endorse republican or not at all. Is there a attack on Sarah’s daughter by liberal bloggers? Yes, and A) after a year and a half of attacks on Obama’s patriotism, experience, personal life. How many plugs for Corsi’s book have i had to hear, headlines across the media. How about his lapel pin or whether he recites the pledge? And B) was McCain and Palin really that naive about how the spotlight would be directed towards the young girl??? Or did McCain really even know in the first place? Either he didn’t know anything about it and he’s too impulsive in picking his VP, or he did know and he and her mother are completely insensitive towards her situation. It’s one thing to put your “country first”, but not at the expense of this child. The media is not to blame for putting the spotlight on Bristol, her parents are. Unfortunately, Karl Rove taught this country a thing or two about how to win an election and it’s not by talking the issues and playing nice. As Sarah Palin has said in regards to Hillary, “Quit whining, just try harder.”

By Jamal

September 2, 2008 4:41 PM | Link to this

Mike I be with you on my man Obame. He be best for job and i no he wil take care of me jus lik his bro Gorge.

By Mike

September 2, 2008 3:33 PM | Link to this

Well Barry, McCain is 72 years old and has had four bouts with cancer. To assume McCain’s Vice President will be nothing more “than the president’s cheerleader in the senate” seems terribly naive to me. Is this an issue with which we can afford to be as flippant and dismissive as you appear to be? McCain himself said his highest priority in picking a Vice President was to “find someone who was ready to be President”. And he picked Palin. Is this is a reflection of the judgement he will exercise as President? I would be curious, also, to see a link where I can find Obama’s advocation of “government controlling everything”. Please tell me that your thoughts on these serious issues and the differences in the candidates is not this shallow and simplistic. There is much too much at stake in this election to be basing a vote on such fallacious assumptions and trite talking points.

By Barry

September 2, 2008 3:10 PM | Link to this

“An old woman had two sons, one went in the navy, and one became V.P., neither was heard from again”. That is an old saying. The V.P. is often times not much more then the president’s cheerleader in the senate. The fact that McCain actually picked someone who is a conservative to be on the ticket with him is a good sign on what kind of person he will pick for other things. Just like Biden is a sign of what Obama will do. I personally do not like the Obama “mega government” image of a country where the Government controlls everything. I don’t much care for the wishy washy McCain either. I would rather have McCain then Obama but I really wish there was another choice.

By Mike

September 2, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this

No null, I’m a happy man who stands 5 ft. 10 inches tall. But that’s a story for another day. Anyone who could say that there is any semblance of parity between the experience and service of Obama and Palin can only be looked on as delusional. The “she’s no different than Obama” meme is on par with, “Oh yeah, well what about your sister. She’s fat, too”. C’mon null. Just last month she said she didn’t really even know for sure what the Vice President did every day. She wasn’t sure that her being the Vice President “would be fruitful for Alaskans”. She questioned whether the job was for her because “she was used to being productive”. Is that really the outlook and attitude the Republicans want of Vice Presidential nominee? And I would be really curious to hear how statements such as these contribute to your assertion that they “serve to make your Pres nominee look just as bad if not worse.” I’m just not following that line of thinking.

By null

September 2, 2008 2:09 PM | Link to this

Mike, you are a sad little man. Debate VP nominee Palin’s connections and qualifications all you want to. They only serve to make your Pres nominee look just as bad if not worse. I laugh everytime I hear your ilk lament Palin being “a heartbeat away” from the Presidency. Did you think we didn’t notice your Presidential nominee’s thin resume?

By Mike

September 2, 2008 1:45 PM | Link to this

A “reformer”, huh?? You mean like employing a lobbying firm to get nearly $27 million in earmarks for town of 6,700 people? A town where she happened to be the mayor at the time. Or like serving as director for a 527 group organized by troubled Senator Ted Stevens which could raise unlimited funds from corporate donors to fund a “political boot camp” for Republican women? Or is that a “reformer” in the sense of once belonging to an organization which champions for a vote of secession for Alaska from the United States? An organization whose founder proudly states, “I’m an Alaskan, not an American. I’ve got no use for America or her damned institutions.” An organization which has as a motto, “Alaska First - Alaska Always.” Republicans are running so scared that they have to use straw man arguments like the teen pregnancy issue to try and divert everyone’s eyes from the real story. Palin is supremely unqualified to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency. And when you’re a Republican and the facts aren’t on your side, just scream “LIBERAL BLOGGERS, LIBERAL BLOGGERS, LIBERAL BLOGGERS” !!! That’s surely the answer to all your problems.