TEA Parties and the U.S. Media

Not just FAIL.

EPIC FAIL.

At no time in my, ahem, “50+” years on the planet have I ever been witness to such a wanton, craven, dismissive, condescending, inaccurate, biased, naive, assuming, incurious and progressively-inconsequential sycophantic media — as now. I think the applicable phrase is: “in the tank.”

“In the tank” for what or whom, you might rightfully ask?

— for the Leftists, Socialists, Liberals, Demorats — any “ists” or “ats” that oppose the slightest Moderate or Rightist or Libertarian philisophy.

My theory was borne out, in spades, on one simple day: Wednesday, April 15th of 2009.

Witness this exchange between CNN reporterette Susan Roesgen and attendees at a Chicago TEA Party — could she have been more snide, biased, arrogant and dismissive? Because this video is now ablaze over the internet she’ll likely be made a CNN martyr, she’ll have “taken one for the team” and will shortly get her own half-hour opinion show:

As I essentially wrote on quite a number of blogs: the determinant of this day will be revealed by the coverage — or lack thereof — by the so-called MainStream Media. I have labeled them — and rightfully so — as the DEM: the Defeatist, Elitist Media.

“CNN: the most INCONSEQUENTIAL name in news.”

As simply proven by ratings from Wednesday: coverage of the various nation TEA Parties pushed Fox News’ ratings into the stratosphere, more than CNN, HNN, MSNBC and all others combined.

So it’s clear now: the gloves are most definitely off. There really isn’t even the slightest veneer of impartiality in the MSM/DEM. In fact, the only real “coverage” occurred when hosts and “reporters” snickered and giggled over how many times they could utilize “teabagging” in a sentence.

In Sacramento, the capital of the most powerfully-productive state in the Union, there was only ONE — repeat, ONE — major media host covering the Sacramento TEA Party live on Wednesday: ERIC HOGUE from KTKZ, 1380 AM. The other three local TV stations predominantly ignored the event, which was attended by an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 persons.

In the course of a single national event, it is beyond any doubt that Conservatism struggles against unprecedented odds where the media makes no pretense whatsoever at fair coverage or treatment; quite the opposite, in fact.

If you held any hope for “fairness,” abandon that singular hope now.

BZ

TEA: Taxed Enough Already

Today will feature any number of TEA Parties across the nation. One of the largest will be in Sacramento, Fornicalia — where I work.

Please consider that, in many ways, the American electorate is precisely responsible for getting the country to this point — it’s not simply “the politicians’ fault.” It is a corruptive, destructive symbiotic relationship, a potentially endless cycle that feeds upon itself.

Unless, somehow, those who are actually aware manage to stop the cycle of destruction and corruption. And that is a huge, huge task because the number of persons who want their Free Cheese, truly, almost outnumber those who produce said Cheese. That in itself is a frightening thought.

Some notes from Newt Gingrich regarding the massive debt created by Mr Obama:

If you’re a 50-year old-with a college degree, you will pay approximately $81,000 over your working life just to pay the interest on the debt in the Obama budget.

If you’re a 40-year-old, you’ll pay $132,000.

And if you’re a 20-year-old, just starting out after college, you will pay a whopping $114,000 just to service the interest on the debt created by the Obama budget.

By 2019, President Obama’s budget will have added over $9.4 trillion to the federal debt.

Want to find out how much interest will cost you due to Mr Obama’s deficits during your working life? Click here and enter your numbers.

IN FORNICALIA:

A major new report profiling America’s illegal immigrants estimates that 10 percent of California’s work force is undocumented, while close to 14 percent of the state’s schoolchildren have at least one parent in the country illegally.

Wouldn’t you suspect that has an affect on taxes? And wouldn’t you suspect that has an affect on spending as well, in terms of this state’s deficit?

Furthermore, with roughly 3 million illegals in Fornicalia, and with double-digit unemployment (10.5%) in Fornicalia, don’t you suspect the two might also be related?

And why no mention of this in ANY media outlet?

NATIONALLY:

But oh, the MSM is certainly quick to label those organizing or attending TEA Parties as nutters. From American Thinker:

In the Soviet Union, opponents of the regime were often declared insane and locked up. The American media, perhaps frightened by political demonstrations they don’t understand, resort to the same despicable tactic. Rather than analyze, they sneer and fabricate lies.

Marc Cooper, “director of Annenberg Digital News at the Annenberg School for Communication at USC” writes in the LA Times that “tea parties are steeped in insanity.”

Today’s G.O.P. is, after all, very much a minority party. It retains some limited ability to obstruct the Democrats, but has no ability to make or even significantly shape policy.

Beyond that, Republicans have become embarrassing to watch. And it doesn’t feel right to make fun of crazy people. Better, perhaps, to focus on the real policy debates, which are all among Democrats.

One way to get a good sense of the current state of the G.O.P., and also to see how little has really changed, is to look at the “tea parties” that have been held in a number of places already, and will be held across the country on Wednesday. These parties — antitaxation demonstrations that are supposed to evoke the memory of the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution — have been the subject of considerable mockery, and rightly so.

Last but not least: it turns out that the tea parties don’t represent a spontaneous outpouring of public sentiment. They’re AstroTurf (fake grass roots) events, manufactured by the usual suspects. In particular, a key role is being played by FreedomWorks, an organization run by Richard Armey, the former House majority leader, and supported by the usual group of right-wing billionaires. And the parties are, of course, being promoted heavily by Fox News.

Sacramento Tea Party, Cavuto Revolution should be categorized as Enemy Combatants!

“While bailing out the irresponsible parties, the government is pushing hard-working Americans to the brink of another revolution. As the government works to redistribute wealth, we Americans work more for less – and the government takes more and more.”

The Distribution of Wealth in America, under George W. Bush Tax Breaks Were “Redistribution of Wealth” to the top 10% of families have over 71% Wealth.

Fox Propaganda Channel Lies are deceitful and talking Revolution should be categorized as Enemy Combatants, and sent to detention camps in Cuba or Egypt. Cavuto and Fox News says Obama is redistributing wealth, the republicans have already done that!! Bring your old shoes To wave at Cavuto of Fox News.

Just as Janet Napolitano and Homeland Security consider you to be an “extremist” and subject to being placed on a “watch list.” If you believe in limited government, you oppose abortion, you support the First and Second Amendments — to steal from Jeff Foxworthy — “you just might be an extremist.” The report in PDF here.

Hugh Hewitt summarized it best when he wrote:

The “report” is an embarrassment to DHS, which has done so much good work over the past seven years. The only thing of interest about it is the identity of the author or authors, and whether they rode into town with the new president. The level of analysis is so childish and the conclusions so laughable as to tell us nothing at all except that the government employs some very, very limited “analysts” with big political agendas.

There are indeed right wing extremists in the U.S., a few of whom are dangerous. They are nowhere near as numerous or as dangerous as the jihadists here and around the globe. When Islamist terrorists strike at Americans or American interests here or abroad, it will be a fair question why DHS was allowed to waste its time and resources on such dribble.

And anyone wonders why there are TEA Parties?

How has our country devolved so? Because, I answer, the bulk of our fellow countrymen have demanded it be so.

Time to set things right.

BZ

Newt Gingrich in 2012?

The Associated Press writes today:

Gingrich describes his role (in politics) this way: “I’m a citizen leader who’s also a Republican.” Asked whether he will make the transition from citizen to candidate, Gingrich gives an impish grin.

“We’ll see,” he said.

I’m already sorry that Mr Gingrich didn’t take the RNC Chairmanship. Mr Steele has disabused me of his own tenure.

2012 isn’t that far away, ladies and gentlemen.

Thoughts?

BZ

Piratical Bottom Line

BlackFive has the bottom line wrap-up:

The tests for our President continue and I now have multiple confirmations saying that the initial set of rules that Obama put on the Navy forbid any active attempts to rescue the hostage and only after they requested he reinstate their authority to act if the hostage was in imminent danger did he do so (my emphasis-BZ).

Now he needs to put some teeth in the words he mouthed yesterday. It is one thing to say you want to end the scourge of piracy, but until you find the spine to attack their lairs (as Krauthammer calls them) you are swatting mosquitoes not draining the swamp.

Obama still operates as if everyone runs according to the laws on his planet, where the skies are all gorgeous, green, and love prevails in the realm.

The challenges to America will continue and like culminate, unless lines are drawn, in another 9/11 -type incident.

BZ