Category Archives: Media Criticism

Media Criticism, Political Commentary

A Great Riposte To John McCain

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From Rand Paul: “I’d rather be a hobbit than a troll.”

John McCain can’t leave public life soon enough for me.

[Update early evening]

On the other hand, Chrissie Matthews has found a new tingle up his leg:

Chris Matthews’ infatuation with John McCain has returned. The day after the Republican senator bashed his own party, knocking “Hobbit” Tea Partiers, the Hardball anchor on Thursday lauded him as “great” and even suggested McCain as a MSNBC guest host: “…He can substitute for me some night with that kind of talk!”

Don’t expect him to actually vote for him, though.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary

What Did The White House Know?

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…and when did it know it?

It’s the first time anyone has publicly stated that a White House official had any familiarity with ATF’s operation Fast and Furious, which allowed thousands of weapons to fall into the hands of suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels in an attempt to gain intelligence. It’s unknown as to whether O’Reilly shared information with anybody else at the White House.

As I’ve said before, if it were a Republican White House, there would have already been calls in the press for impeachment. At least they’re starting to cover it.

[Update early evening]

William Newell circles the wagons for the administration. Expect much of the media to hitch their wagons as well.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary, War Commentary

Conflict Oil

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…versus ethical oil. Jim Bennett, who sent me the link, notes:

I also love the way the Globe’n’Mail thinks that Velshi’s rather obvious conclusions are “notions.”

“Alykhan Velshi’s eye-popping ads are premised on the notion that oil exports ultimately underwrite the values of those states that produce them. ‘Conflict oil’ funds ‘dictatorship’ and ‘terrorism’ and results in ‘women stoned to death,’ according to the ads…”

Ya think?

Velshi must be one of those Islamophobic Muslims, obviously.

Obviously. Why, that notion of oil funding woman stoning is just crazy talk.

Business, Economics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society

Who Are You Going To Believe?

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The climate models, or the lying empirical evidence?

The new NASA Terra satellite data are consistent with long-term NOAA and NASA data indicating atmospheric humidity and cirrus clouds are not increasing in the manner predicted by alarmist computer models. The Terra satellite data also support data collected by NASA’s ERBS satellite showing far more longwave radiation (and thus, heat) escaped into space between 1985 and 1999 than alarmist computer models had predicted. Together, the NASA ERBS and Terra satellite data show that for 25 years and counting, carbon dioxide emissions have directly and indirectly trapped far less heat than alarmist computer models have predicted.

But let’s not let a little pesky science get in the way of social justice.

[Update a while later]

Gee, whaddaya know? A “climate researcher” who implied that our SUVs were drowning polar bears is being investigated for “integrity issues.”

It’s just the ninety percent of them who make the rest look bad.

[Update late afternoon]

Weep not for the polar bears: James Delingpole piles on.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Today’s Questions For The President

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I hope someone asks Jay Carney this:

You, Treasury Secretary Geithner, and other members of your administration have warned that failure to raise the debt ceiling by August 2 will have far-ranging, “catastrophic” effects, including plunging the United States economy into a depression. Nonetheless, you insist that Congress should pass only a debt-ceiling increase that extends beyond the 2012 presidential election; yesterday, you released a statement saying that your senior advisers had counseled you to veto a short-term increase in the debt ceiling. This despite the fact that short-term debt-ceiling increases (i.e., less than a year) are common, having been enacted dozens of times just since the Reagan administration.

Why is a short-term debt-ceiling increase unacceptable now when they’ve been routine and unremarkable in the past?

Presuming for a moment that your veto threat is sincere, shouldn’t Americans logically conclude that you consider winning reelection more important than forestalling an economic catastrophe and throwing millions more Americans out of work?

Do you expect most congressional Republicans to fall for your veto threat and cave? If so, will you please join my Thursday night poker games and bring those Republicans with you?

P.S. I’m glad I’m not Jay Carney. But then, if I were Jay Carney, I’d have never accepted such a fool’s errand as to be spokeshole for this president.