Jon Stewart: Our Last 100 Days

I loved this segment! Jon's initial reaction to the news of the flu -- exactly how I felt. Pretty sure this is the first time in my life that I've ever been pissed off over a flu outbreak... or maybe its the media coverage. And nobody exposes the ghouls in the corporate media quite like Jon Stewart.

Lincoln, I believe, would have loved this show. Humor, politics... and surgical satirizing of the more ridiculous elements in our society, especially our media. I didn't get around to posting this after I saw it because I was out of town... but its never too late to remedy that!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Snoutbreak '09 - The Last 100 Days
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

Jon Stewart: Obama's first 100 days (of media circus)

I am so grateful to Jon Stewart: he apparently watches this mindless media drivel so that the rest of us don't have to.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
How to Judge a Guy in 100 Days
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

Enough is enough.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall ransom captive Israel Gaza.

Guess we'll never get past 'an eye for an eye.' Not there, and until January 20th at least... not here.

The media vs. the people

Funny, I logged into CNN last night after the debate, and I took their 'quick vote' poll. I was astounded by the results:

Quick Vote

Who fared better in Wednesday's presidential debate?

Sen. John McCain 18% 46942
Sen. Barack Obama 78% 202364

No clear winner 4% 10782
Total Votes: 260088

Every single MSM (mainstream media) voter poll showed that Obama won the debate, hands down -- and by a wide margin. Yet the pundits... and the national media seem to believe - or want us to believe - that McCain made some sort of a big comeback. Its strange and a little creepy, their refusal to believe the polls. Talking points again?

Today's little Quicknews blurb from CNN was all about McCain:

MCCAIN PUTS OBAMA ON THE SPOT IN FINAL DEBATE

Sen. John McCain played offense against Sen. Barack Obama during much of the final presidential debate as he challenged his rival on his policies, judgment and character.

No mention of the fact that McCain's unsavory 'attactics' continued to piss people off -- if I may be so blunt.

I notice that CNN's lead story was also about McCain: "I am not Bush." Sure... McCain is an older, angrier Bush who happened to vote with Bush over 90% of the time. Apparently CNN feels McCain needs a little lift today; or the public needs a perception correction. Those damn polls...

I wonder which debate CNN was watching; the one they were moderating, or the one I saw with my own eyes.

The debate I saw showed a McCain on the hot seat for most of the night -- sarcastic, defensive, rolling his eyes and losing his temper. The rolling eyes were quite annoying and condescending.



McCain also made a few comments that really turned me off; and showed he wasn't the careful, compassionate leader that he'd like us to believe. Obama - in contrast - came off as consistent, calm and believable.

If I had to choose between the two simply on personality, I'd easily choose Obama. McCain came off as a small-minded, petulant old man who thought he was better than his opponent (and no doubt better than me.) Obama spoke directly to the people and addressed the issues, rather than wasting time on small-time bickering and personal insults.

But then, that's just me... the Independent voter. And I choose based on the issues. Obama addressed the issues -- and I agree with his stance. I believe he has the leadership ability and vision to lead this country. McCain spent most of his time attacking Obama. I saw no leadership, no vision... I felt he wasted my time, and I'm glad these debates are finally over. I've seen enough sarcasm and rolling eyes to last a lifetime.

I guess I wasn't alone.

CBS poll of undecided voters:

Who won the debate?

McCain (R) 22
Obama (D) 53

Shares your values:

Obama, Before the debate: 54
Obama, After the debate: 63

McCain, Before the debate: 53
McCain, After the debate: 56

CNN poll of voters who watched debate:

Who won the debate?

McCain (R) 31
Obama (D) 58

Favorable/Unfavorable

Obama, before debate: 63/35
Obama, after debate: 66/33

McCain, before debate: 51/45
McCain, after debate: 49/49

So after this debate, McCain's popularity went down even further - and Obama's went up.

Polls are such a drag, aren't they CNN? You collect the data, and so you have to post it... but then you spend the rest of your time trying to counter it by explaining to us - the people who just told you what we think - that what we think doesn't matter.

Good luck with that. Many of us are voting right now, all month long.

Occasional voice of reason in the media

Lou Dobbs: Earmarks with bailout

Lou Dobbs, on the war path

Lou will be fun tonight. (I guess 'fun' isn't quite right; 'madder than a wet hen' might be a better description.)

Here is the email alert about tonight's show:

Lou Dobbs Tonight
Friday, October 3, 2008

Tonight, it’s official: Both houses of Congress have passed the $850 billion Wall Street bailout that rewards massive banks and corporations for their deceptive lending practices, shady accounting and reckless, greedy transactions.

Now it’s on its way to the president for a slam dunk signature. It’s another big win for the ultra-wealthy and another insult to the ordinary men and women who make up this country. We’ll have complete coverage.

Plus:

* House members are the latest to have to explain their votes on the mega-bank mega-bailout. They love to talk about ending pork, but this bill was loaded with it.

* California’s budget crisis is worsening. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson saying his state may need an emergency loan up to $7
billion. California is not the only state struggling for funding during this credit crunch. New Mexico and Massachusetts are considering cancelling large infrastructure projects.

* Congress is rushing through meaningless legislation ahead of its latest vacation, rather than addressing the major issues that matter to Americans. Congress didn’t pass appropriations bills, but instead lumped spending measures into a continuing
resolution. On the critical legislation like e-verify, lawmakers simply passed a temporary extension. And, Congress will break without passing real foreclosure relief for struggling families.

* Manufacturers, unions, and farmers groups are outraged at the way this country’s faith-based free trade policies created the current economic crisis. Today, the Coalition to Fix America's Economy will announced a proposal to revive our manufacturing sector and to make manufacturing and farming part of the economic dialogue for our presidential candidates.

(Lou - seriously - can we 'revive' a manufacturing sector that was shipped overseas to China?)

Whether you agree with his stance on immigration or not, you have to admit he's relentless when it comes to Congress, Wall Street and lobbyists.

Senate passes bailout; both candidates support it

Ron Paul... are you still running for president?

According to most reports, an overwhelming majority of Americans are staunchly against this bailout, and do not trust that it will be handled responsibly. Some reports have indicated that incoming calls to the congressional switchboard were 100-1 against.

And yet it passed the Senate. And both candidates voted for it. Amazing.

See what a third party option would do for this nation? We obviously need a party for the 95% of us that aren't wealthy. (Like our senators.)

He said, We said:

President Bush, following the Senate vote, said the bill was central to the "financial security" of the nation. "The American people expect - and our economy demands - that the House pass this good bill this week and send it to my desk."

Snapshot of tonight's CNN poll, and what the American people really expect:

Should the Senate pass the $700 billion bailout package for the U.S. financial system?

Yes	28%	100829
No	51%	183300
Don't have enough info to decide	21%	75910
Total Votes: 360039

CNN rewrites history: No longer "America's most trusted news source?"

Another news alert from CNN, this time the "AMERICAN MORNING QUICKNEWS:"

~~~~~~~~~~~
TOP STORIES
~~~~~~~~~~~

MARKETS MAYHEM AFTER U.S. BAILOUT FAILURE

Investors continued to dump shares Tuesday after U.S. lawmakers unexpectedly rejected a Wall Street bailout plan, triggering the largest point drop in U.S. market history.

...FULL STORY

STOCKS CRUSHED

Stocks skidded Monday, with the Dow slumping nearly 778 points, in the biggest single-day point loss ever, after the House rejected the government's $700 billion bank bailout plan.

...FULL STORY

BE AFRAID!

Oh please.

First problem - CNN - is that we have other news sources, so there is a difference of opinion as to whether this was the worst drop in history. The New York Times - and they are in fact right there in Wall Street land - compares it to 1987's Black Monday, but doesn't scream "panic!" at us.

And CNN -- its fine that you decided to round up from 777 -- but lose the 'biggest single-day point loss ever' unless you intend to back it up. Now you're trying to trump the Great Depression. Get over it. We're not afraid. We now know there are greater things to fear than fear itself: we fear the collapse of the dollar which would be far, far worse than this Wall Street tantrum.

Another questionable assertion in this CNN alert: "U.S. lawmakers unexpectedly rejected a Wall Street bailout plan"....?

I'm sorry, but the passing of the bill was always questionable and in no way expected. The stock market should have known this well in advance.

Perhaps to CNN's cynical ownership - and even the cynical stock market - the fact that congress actually listened to the people and to their collective consciences was indeed unexpected. But anyone who was paying attention realized that there was quite a bit of doubt yesterday morning as to whether the bill would make it through both the angry progressive Democrats demanding greater protection for the taxpayers (Republicans as well,) and the conservative Republicans demanding that the market regulate itself - and that includes paying for its own bailout.

This breaking news alert is total hogwash, designed by its wording to strike fear into our rebellious, unrepentant hearts.

Obviously CNN is no longer the most 'trusted news source' they claim to be. They received their talking points memo from the White House, and are going full 'fear tactic' in their reporting.

I'll stick with the New York Times, thank you. Americans and the brightest economists in the nation are all greatly relieved today. CNN can go sit in the corner and sulk.

Here is a more calm and reflective (not to mention informative) news release from the New York Times:

For Stocks, Worst Single-Day Drop in Two Decades

Even before the opening bell, Monday looked ugly.

But by the time that bell sounded again on the New York Stock Exchange, seven and a half frantic hours later, $1.2 trillion had vanished from the United States stock market.

What had started 24 hours earlier, with a modest sell-off in stock markets in Asia, had turned into Wall Street’s blackest day since the 1987 crash. The broad market, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index, plunged almost 9 percent, its third-biggest decline since World War II. The Dow Jones industrial average fell nearly 778 points, or 6.98 percent, to 10,365.45.

Across Wall Street, no one could quite believe what was happening on the floor — the floor of the House of Representatives, not the New York Exchange.

As lawmakers began to vote on a $700 billion rescue for financial institutions, the Voyageur Asset Management trading desk in Chicago went silent. Money managers gaped at a television screen carrying news that seemed unthinkable: the bill was not going to pass. Shortly after 1:30 p.m., the rescue was rejected.

Once again, the New York Times (with perhaps a greater grasp of history) reminds us that this has happened before, 20 years ago. Most of us are old enough to remember that day. The world didn't end, and neither did the stock market. It does appear that Wall Street expected the bill to pass... but anyone listening to the congressmen themselves wouldn't have been anywhere near as convinced.

Considering the alternative risk of 'crushing' the dollar itself -- I think most Americans will allow Wall Street this temper tantrum. Because of course that is exactly what this is: a temper tantrum.

Anyone who has had a small child knows the only solution is to let the baby cry and scream and stamp its feet until completely spent; not coddle and give them whatever they want, virtually guaranteeing a repeat performance whenever they want something new.

Dueling News Alerts

Interesting. It appears that CNN has a much shorter grasp of history than the New York Times; either that or a much more aggressive 'BE AFRAID' agenda.

(File this under 'reading between the lines.')

First, the CNN 'Breaking News' Alert:

-- Dow suffers biggest point drop in history, falling nearly 778 points in reaction to House vote rejecting economic rescue.

The biggest drop in history, eh? Not according to the New York Times News Alert:

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Monday, September 29, 2008 -- 4:49 PM ET
-----

Dow Closes Down 777 Points

The Dow Jones industrials closed 777.68 points lower on Monday -- a 6.97% drop, the biggest loss since 2001 -- after the government's bailout was defeated in the House.

The broadest measure of the American stock market, the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index, fell 8.77 percent, its biggest drop since October 1987. The Nasdaq composite index fell by more than 9 percent, after the House defeated the bill by a vote of 228-205.

Notice that CNN rounded up to 778 and called it the 'biggest drop in history' which apparently is not true. The New York Times has the Dow down 777 points, and described the drop as the biggest loss since 2001. Big difference, wouldn't you say?

Apparently New York is a little less hysterical than Atlanta.

And as for Wall Street... sorry guys. No free ride. Not today, and not on our dime.

People are losing their houses, not just their yachts. Our sympathy is a little worn right now. That, and your robber baron in chief has cried wolf so many times that we're sick and tired of being afraid. We are - in fact - more inclined to anger right now.

By the way, no diss towards wolves intended by the use of the 'cry wolf' idiom -- I have a lot more respect for the intelligence and integrity of wolves than I ever will for our robber in chief.

... and now for a little blackmail

CNN Breaking News:

-- Dow industrials fall more than 600 on fears bailout package vote will fail.

I have the strongest mental image: Wall Street holding congress upside down by its feet outside an office window - 30 floors above the street - and shaking until money falls out of its pockets, saying "If you don't pass that bill, I'll drop you."

FBI Investigates Wall Street

Go Lou!

Lou Dobbs goes for the throat

I haven't been able to catch Lou lately (and I grew tired of the immigration rants; I'm much more concerned with saving our Constitution and democracy.) But when Lou Dobbs takes off the immigration hat and puts on his anti-corpocrisy helmet... he's 'everyman' with a bullhorn.

Judging from my latest CNN email alert, tonight is going to be fun.

From CNN: Tonight on Lou Dobbs

* Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Lehman Brother and AIG under federal investigation. The FBI is investigating the companies as part of a broader look into deceptive mortgage lending and possible fraud in creating the current market mess. At least 26 firms are under investigation as well

* For years, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac feasted on public trust and the promise that their stocks were backed by a line of Treasury credit. As they grew bloated, and executive salaries skyrocketed, some experts warned that the U.S. economy was being put at risk. But that was drowned out by a virtual army of lobbyists.

* Lawmakers in the House of Representatives finally passed a Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights yesterday after months of waffling, partisan bickering, and holding meaningless hearings while failing to address the issue with legislation. But that doesn’t mean regular men and women are suddenly going to get a fair shake against the greedy mega-companies that can boost fees and change the rules at any time. After all, the Senate still has to pass the bill and the president has to sign it – both have said they oppose legislation that helps the middle class and not multi-billion dollar financial companies.

Lay waste to them Lou! If we all keep pounding on them from every direction, we may save this country yet.

By the way... this is what real patriotism looks like. Its not a bumper sticker. Its not even a flag.

Patriotism is a unified sea of Republicans, Democrats and Independents - united by our love of freedom, Constitution and democracy - rising up as one wave; and crashing down on any attempted tyranny (be it financial or otherwise.)

All of us, together.

To hell with this 'blue' and 'red' BS the political machines use to divide, then conquer us. The word 'biparisan' is completely empty in the face of our united, collective wrath. They can't beat us if we stick together. Nation before party! (Finally!)

Lt. Gen. Honore: Nation needs 'Culture of Preparedness'

Honore, as a commentator for CNN:

I would not count on levees during a hurricane to save your life. Levees will give you early warning. If you're living behind a levee, you need to be prepared to evacuate at any time. That's Russel Honore's rule No. 1. If you live along the Mississippi River or on the Gulf Coast, rule No. 2 is: It's going to flood.

Honore went on to say that everyone in our nation needs to be trained in disaster preparedness so that we can survive at a local level while waiting for national help to arrive.

This is a terrific overview of what we as a nation should - and could easily be doing to prepare ourselves for environmental disasters.

Good stuff. Too bad Honore isn't in charge of Fema, eh?

Honore:

We need to build a culture of preparedness. We need to assure that every kid who goes to school in America knows how to swim. The number of EMS teams and ambulances is not tracking with the growth in population. We need to teach more of our people first aid.

The federal government ought to be there to back the states up, we need to build a culture of preparedness in each. Why are we sending people there to issue them ice and water? We should be empowering people to act locally. The key to hurricane preparation is family preparation. If families are prepared, we lose fewer lives.

Government has to set standards for institutions like nursing homes and hospitals and for homes where people with mental or physical disabilities are kept. They should be evacuated well before the general population. We have to decide how close we should have those types of institutions to the coastline and to areas that will probably be flooded. That part of the population is just too vulnerable.

We need to create a national preparedness plan, with a local civil defense corps. We need dual trained teachers who can be disaster responders. We need to equip each high schools with satellite communications.

We need drugstores with generators in each geographical area ... If you lose power, people can still get medicine. Gas stations along interstate highways need to have generators. We need cellphone towers that could be lowered before the storm and then raised after the storm.

For every dollar you spend in preparedness before the disaster you save $9 after the disaster.

Anderson Cooper: Where is the Federal Government?

Anderson Cooper reads the riot act to Sen. Landrieu

Jack Cafferty: Hurricane Katrina Outrage

Looking back...

Breaking: CNN actually reports news!

I just found this CNN AM QuickNews email alert in my inbasket.

Could it be?

~~~~~~~~~~~
TOP STORIES
~~~~~~~~~~~

IRAQI PRIME MINISTER SAYS U.S. TROOPS CAN GO 'ANYTIME THEY WANT'

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki shrugged off U.S. doubts of his government's military and political progress Saturday, saying Iraqi forces are capable and American troops can leave "anytime they want."

'SiCKO Truth Squad' corrects CNN

This is priceless. First Moore gives us 'SiCKO,' and exposes the endless BS and abuse we've been putting up with via health insurance companies for years. Now he's outting CNN's lousy news reporting! Go Michael!

I've lost all respect for Dr. Sanjay Gupta. No wait... that happened years ago.

Michael Moore kicks butt and takes names!

Wow! Michael Moore just inflicted a serious take-down on Wolf Blitzer and all of CNN for their lack of coverage (hahahaha, sick em Michael!) It's classic. This is truly a must-see - best thing anyone has seen on CNN in a very long time.

Video already available at Crooks and Liars (I'll replace this with a YouTube once one is available, but it's a bit long.)

UPDATE: YouTube video found. Enjoy.