Wednesday, September 24, 2008
LIARS AND DA#*ED LIARS
Too many in the media, in their efforts to appear unbiased, like to paint candidates in both parties with the same tar brush. They like to criticize both campaigns of going negative. Some may deserve this criticism more than others. Some may deserve little of it.
People in the media, and thus average citizens, are blaming democrats as well as republicans for the lack of progress of good legislation through Congress. Actually, republicans have used the lack of a 60 vote democrat cloture majority in the Senate to stop votes on 90 progressive bills. Oklahoma senators have joined in this legislative obstruction.
Too many “truth squads” seize upon several outright falsehoods, made up and publicized by one camp, and equate this despicable conduct with use of direct quotes in critical statements from the opposite camp. Even when quotes lack context, there is a difference.
Too many in the media have aired repeatedly statements by Sarah Palin and by John McCain which were already checked and known to be untrue. They give free press coverage to wild accusations made by McCain, even repeatedly showing his attack ads free during news programs.
We are waiting for somebody in the media to just call “straight talk” McCain a “plain liar.” We are waiting for somebody in the media to label Sarah Palin as simply a “serial liar.”
That will be the day when the media regains respect as the fourth estate.
Jim Inhofe’s ads truthfully proclaim that he is a “hard-headed” and “stubborn” man. These omit “dumb,” “ignorant,” and “redneck.” Inhofe’s dirty attack ads against his young challenger have gone from the gutter into the sewer. How could voters keep electing such a person of low ethics?
Before voting for McCain and Inhofe, people should remember that only a short while back these two, along with Tom Coburn, were avidly supporting privatizing Social Security, turning our future over to what they now call “Wall Street casinos” for management. A number of us had their letters in answer to our protests against that. They used two pages to tell us why we were wrong and Bush was right.
Twenty-six years in the Senate as a Reaganesque anti-government, anti-regulation proponent, and with a campaign stable full of lobbyists, now John McCain wants us to believe he is a reformer and a regulator. He wants us to believe that he will go in and clean the house he has lived in for years.
Does anyone remember the “Keating Five” and McCain’s direct intrusion into government regulation of a mismanaged savings and loan in Arizona whose CEO was a principal supporter and fund raiser for McCain? Our “straight talk” guy was reprimanded by the senate for ethics violations of the very sort he now pledges to clean up.
Some of McCain’s ads against Obama have been not just negative, but gutter. When they make up something, or add to and distort a truth, it becomes a lie. We ought to say so.
McCain said that as an Illinois legislator Obama sponsored a bill which would put sex education in kindergarten. The sarcasm of the ad made its purpose more than clear. Yet they knew well that the program for young kids was about avoiding and reporting adult predators. This ad “approved by” John McCain has to be regarded as a lie.
Ms. Palin’s constant repeating of lies about her actions in Alaska have been a part of the talking points of their campaign as “mavericks” and “reformers.” “I told Congress ‘No, on the bridge to nowhere.’” This statement has been discredited by mainstream media, shown to be false, and yet she repeats it over and over. But we do have a $26 million federally funded “road to nowhere.”
This and other similar statements make Palin a “serial liar.” The fact that McCain stands by, even quotes her, makes him either a bumpkin or a serial liar as well. His outright statement to an incredulous 60 Minutes reporter that Palin was fully capable of being president indicates either untruthfulness or incompetence on his part.
McCain’s choice of the unqualified Palin to be his successor, should he pass on, was really a direct insult to the nation. They can claim the slogan “country first,” but it does not hold water. Who in their right mind thinks Palin is ready to be president? Our country deserves better.
Those who take “Forked-tongued” McCain and Pit Bull Palin inside their cloak, to their breast to cherish, will be bitten later. They will be reminded of the old admonition of the freezing serpent, “You knew what I was before you took me to the warmth of your breast.”
Yes, it would indeed be better to hear a debate about the issues than name-calling or gutter politics as usual. There are problems.
It is very difficult to campaign against a foe who keeps making dirty accusations and circulating ugly, false material. About 35% of Americans believe the oft-repeated lie that Obama is a Muslim. Another 10% aren’t sure, and slightly less than half are aware he is Christian.
Further, it is hard to campaign against a foe who keeps changing his position. From hard-core, deregulating conservative and 95% support of the Bush presidency, McCain is now and advocate of “change”and “reform.” From his past record as against government regulation, McCain is now for it.
He wanted to fire the head of the SEC for not regulating better, while in the senate he voted to gut the authority of regulators and to open up financial institutions to free market enterprise. When told he could not fire him, McCain said, “I’d find a way to make him resign. That is the kind of president I’d be.”
Even George Will, conservative columnist, calls McCain “childish” and expresses doubt about his suitability as president.
Yes, Mr. McCain and Ms. Palin, we have a good idea what kind of presidential team you’d be. We have seen that kind of stubborn, misdirected, vindictive, temperamental presidency for the last eight years. We have already seen a presidency based upon bluster, lies, and distortions.
We have seen vindictive persecution of those who fail to toe the loyalty mark, however wrong. We have seen corruption within the executive branch. We have seen a pattern of stonewalling and refusal to submit to subpoenas. We have seen secrecy in formation of policies. We have seen liars in office.
We have seen a sell-out of government to special interests. We have seen “no-bid” contracts which have lined the pockets of crooked business people at taxpayer’s expense. We have seen a lack of competency in high offices to the detriment of our people.
We have seen the subversion of our Constitution, which the presidential oath swears to uphold. We do not want to see more of these last eight years.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
People in the media, and thus average citizens, are blaming democrats as well as republicans for the lack of progress of good legislation through Congress. Actually, republicans have used the lack of a 60 vote democrat cloture majority in the Senate to stop votes on 90 progressive bills. Oklahoma senators have joined in this legislative obstruction.
Too many “truth squads” seize upon several outright falsehoods, made up and publicized by one camp, and equate this despicable conduct with use of direct quotes in critical statements from the opposite camp. Even when quotes lack context, there is a difference.
Too many in the media have aired repeatedly statements by Sarah Palin and by John McCain which were already checked and known to be untrue. They give free press coverage to wild accusations made by McCain, even repeatedly showing his attack ads free during news programs.
We are waiting for somebody in the media to just call “straight talk” McCain a “plain liar.” We are waiting for somebody in the media to label Sarah Palin as simply a “serial liar.”
That will be the day when the media regains respect as the fourth estate.
Jim Inhofe’s ads truthfully proclaim that he is a “hard-headed” and “stubborn” man. These omit “dumb,” “ignorant,” and “redneck.” Inhofe’s dirty attack ads against his young challenger have gone from the gutter into the sewer. How could voters keep electing such a person of low ethics?
Before voting for McCain and Inhofe, people should remember that only a short while back these two, along with Tom Coburn, were avidly supporting privatizing Social Security, turning our future over to what they now call “Wall Street casinos” for management. A number of us had their letters in answer to our protests against that. They used two pages to tell us why we were wrong and Bush was right.
Twenty-six years in the Senate as a Reaganesque anti-government, anti-regulation proponent, and with a campaign stable full of lobbyists, now John McCain wants us to believe he is a reformer and a regulator. He wants us to believe that he will go in and clean the house he has lived in for years.
Does anyone remember the “Keating Five” and McCain’s direct intrusion into government regulation of a mismanaged savings and loan in Arizona whose CEO was a principal supporter and fund raiser for McCain? Our “straight talk” guy was reprimanded by the senate for ethics violations of the very sort he now pledges to clean up.
Some of McCain’s ads against Obama have been not just negative, but gutter. When they make up something, or add to and distort a truth, it becomes a lie. We ought to say so.
McCain said that as an Illinois legislator Obama sponsored a bill which would put sex education in kindergarten. The sarcasm of the ad made its purpose more than clear. Yet they knew well that the program for young kids was about avoiding and reporting adult predators. This ad “approved by” John McCain has to be regarded as a lie.
Ms. Palin’s constant repeating of lies about her actions in Alaska have been a part of the talking points of their campaign as “mavericks” and “reformers.” “I told Congress ‘No, on the bridge to nowhere.’” This statement has been discredited by mainstream media, shown to be false, and yet she repeats it over and over. But we do have a $26 million federally funded “road to nowhere.”
This and other similar statements make Palin a “serial liar.” The fact that McCain stands by, even quotes her, makes him either a bumpkin or a serial liar as well. His outright statement to an incredulous 60 Minutes reporter that Palin was fully capable of being president indicates either untruthfulness or incompetence on his part.
McCain’s choice of the unqualified Palin to be his successor, should he pass on, was really a direct insult to the nation. They can claim the slogan “country first,” but it does not hold water. Who in their right mind thinks Palin is ready to be president? Our country deserves better.
Those who take “Forked-tongued” McCain and Pit Bull Palin inside their cloak, to their breast to cherish, will be bitten later. They will be reminded of the old admonition of the freezing serpent, “You knew what I was before you took me to the warmth of your breast.”
Yes, it would indeed be better to hear a debate about the issues than name-calling or gutter politics as usual. There are problems.
It is very difficult to campaign against a foe who keeps making dirty accusations and circulating ugly, false material. About 35% of Americans believe the oft-repeated lie that Obama is a Muslim. Another 10% aren’t sure, and slightly less than half are aware he is Christian.
Further, it is hard to campaign against a foe who keeps changing his position. From hard-core, deregulating conservative and 95% support of the Bush presidency, McCain is now and advocate of “change”and “reform.” From his past record as against government regulation, McCain is now for it.
He wanted to fire the head of the SEC for not regulating better, while in the senate he voted to gut the authority of regulators and to open up financial institutions to free market enterprise. When told he could not fire him, McCain said, “I’d find a way to make him resign. That is the kind of president I’d be.”
Even George Will, conservative columnist, calls McCain “childish” and expresses doubt about his suitability as president.
Yes, Mr. McCain and Ms. Palin, we have a good idea what kind of presidential team you’d be. We have seen that kind of stubborn, misdirected, vindictive, temperamental presidency for the last eight years. We have already seen a presidency based upon bluster, lies, and distortions.
We have seen vindictive persecution of those who fail to toe the loyalty mark, however wrong. We have seen corruption within the executive branch. We have seen a pattern of stonewalling and refusal to submit to subpoenas. We have seen secrecy in formation of policies. We have seen liars in office.
We have seen a sell-out of government to special interests. We have seen “no-bid” contracts which have lined the pockets of crooked business people at taxpayer’s expense. We have seen a lack of competency in high offices to the detriment of our people.
We have seen the subversion of our Constitution, which the presidential oath swears to uphold. We do not want to see more of these last eight years.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
