And The Distortions Continues

Crooks and Liars » Take the Pledge: Hold the Media Accountable

Talk about coordinating attacks, have you seen the polls lately? There is a clear attempt by the folks at the RealClear politics site to control the polling averages. When you know how to use numbers, you can create all kinds of deceptions. Gallup released a poll showing Barack Obama with a 9 point lead. Within the next two days, they released another poll showing John McCain with 4 point lead among likely voters, including the 9 point lead polls they gave two days prior. Today, Dick Gregory of MSNBC argued why is Obama not gaining in the polls. Here is why.

I have provided a link to the RealClear politics’ averages. When a conservative polling agency is controlling which polls are included in that average, you can make that average favor your candidate every time. So RealClear dropped a few leading polls for Obama, and found the right sequence of numbers that would make Obama look week, McCain look stronger, and Gallup look fair. With a strange combination that had Gallup giving Obama a 9 point lead, and another polls showing McCain with a 4 point lead, they are making the false claim Obama is not winning. While you are at it, look at the history of the national polls. As a matter of perception and which poll you believe, you can make the same claim Obama is pulling away from McCain.

My point: The polling average is generated by a conservative agency. They will not show Obama leading if they can work the numbers so they don’t have to. They have been working the numbers overtime, complete with bias and media support. The bias in favor of McCain is huge and coordinated. I have seen the same coordination within the media as they comment on Hillary Clinton’s chances for VP. So far, the conservatives have become so concerned for Obama and are making a wise piece of advice not to chose Clinton. I am so impressed with the non partisan advice of the Republican party. NOT.

Joseph

Will The Pot Call The Kettle Black

Crooks and Liars » Reliable Sources covers CBS and the Couric/McCain editing scandal

Within the MSM, there is a whole list of editing that fall into a questionable area. One could conclude, because of the competitive nature of cable news programs, the “other” networks would be all over this story — forever highlighting the difference in their network. That comparative criticism is missing, and it is obvious as to why.

CBS is waiting for the “other” networks to dare say a word. I would guess every network covering right-wing formulated media is guilty of the same thing. What comes to mind is the media campaigns often used by this administration. Al Qaeda in Iraq was such a editing example. Before the Surge, everything going on in Iraq was attributed to Al Qaeda. Before it was over, Al Qaeda became the primary fighting force. Yes, from 5% influence to warranting a Surge. You only need imagine the editors saying “take that name out and place Al Qaeda in it’s place.” In the end, Al Qaeda had its day, America save the day with its Surge, and the Iraqis are living forever after.

No, the “other” networks better not say too much about their propaganda buddy. They are all the same.

Joseph

Could NBC Be Anymore Bias

Crooks and Liars » Meet the Press: Tom Brokaw Loves Him Some NeoCon Pundits

If I didn’t know any better, I would say the Meet the Press interview was a planned hit job. From the start, to the end, Tom Brokaw did his part for the Republican Party. Although Barack Obama held his own in his Meet The Press interview, there is a attrition factor to account for within a conservative driven media. The more Obama is exposed to a hostel media the more the perception becomes that of conservative rhetoric about him.

It would be wise of the Obama camp, and C&L for that matter, to show bits and pieces of this interview compared to today’s interview with John McCain on ABC’s “This Week.” This should settle this claim that there is a bias in the media. Within that comparison is the truth about where the bias truly lies.

As it is, with the conservative control of the media, the powers to be in the media are making assumptions that Obama is in a close race with McCain. Nothing could be further from the truth. We must not forget the last two presidential elections were very suspicious and thought to be taken away unfairly from the Democrats. I must admit I am one of those who feel that way. The media is well into a plan to do the same. We need to get started on a Democratic plan to see that we don’t get cheated again.

Joseph

The Media's Campaign To Help Republicans Win The Drilling Argument

Behind the strategy that withholds key facts, the media has taken sides in the argument to drill offshore. The Republicans are not withholding no tricks to win this argument for drilling.

The Democrats are outnumbered and outmaneuvered when it comes to the drilling argument. Because the media is owned and operated by conservatives, the Democrats can only sit by and watch the media frame the argument, withhold key facts, and reduce the opposition's debating point to a week talking point. For example, the media is presenting the drilling argument as if drilling will have immediate affect. Even the Republicans have said not a drop of oil will be available until 2018, and when it does, it will only affect the price by no more then two cents.

The Republicans are also hiding behind phony polling data. The question asked of the participants are misleading. The media also withheld the fact that the Republicans actually held up a bill that would of lead to lower gas prices by addressing the speculation problem.

As the Republicans scream "I want to drill drill drill," maybe they might remember that real people are hurting by this gas crisis. They need to stop playing games and the media needs to stop delivering these game to the American people. The bottom line is there has not been a left-wing driven media. Instead it has always been owned and manipulated by conservatives, and with this story, the WP is not excluded.

Joseph

Where Is The Story

Crooks and Liars » Vincent Bugliosi: Hearing on Limits of Executive Power and his take on Weapons of Mass Destruction

BREAKING: Senate Republicans Block Oil Speculation Bill.

C&L, I am not writing this to blogwhore, I am putting this here so you can write something about it. You have a much broader audience than we do. The Republicans are screwing us - again. Most obstructionist ever!

Please write something about this! (And if you want to delete this message, please feel free to do so).

Thank you!


Where Is The Story

I view this as an opportunity to seat more Democrats in November. The Democrats have got to sensationalize what the Republicans have did to relief legislation. They have got to let the masses know immediate relief should not be politicized for something that would not do anything but make Oil companies richer.

The way I see it the Democrats need to do a one thing to be in the best position to eliminate the Republican drilling craze:

They have got to debunk the polling data the Republicans distorted to say most Americans want us to drill. This has got to be done in two ways. The first is they need to inform the voters of the bias nature of the Republican polls and sites like Rasmussen polling and RealClear politics. At every opportunity, these organization will manipulate data to favor John McCain and Republican interest in general. When Gallup worded the question in this way:

Please say whether you would favor or oppose taking each of the following steps to attempt to reduce the price of gasoline. How about: allowing oil drilling in U.S. coastal and wilderness areas now off-limits to oil exploration?

The misleading part of this question is: “whether you would favor or oppose taking each of the fallowing steps to attempt to reduce the price of gasoline.” Instead of asking the question honestly, the bias pollster mislead the responders to think drilling would bring prices down immediately. The fact about this is widely known. If drilling were to start tomorrow, it would not yield a drop of oil until 2018. There is nothing immediate about drilling.

It would be nice to make the Republicans pay for what they blocked today. Watching Vincent Bugliosi speak from a power perspective was inspiring and a model for how Democrats should posture themselves for this very misleading adversary.

Joseph

Reality Steals The Show

Crooks and Liars » Vincent Bugliosi: Hearing on Limits of Executive Power and his take on Weapons of Mass Destruction

Vincent Bugliosi used “the real” to steal the spotlight and shake the members of this hearing up. Although at one point during the hearing one Republican congressmen tried to make this a academic exercise, Bugliosi knows this is no debate in which each side stands on equal footing. For the first time since I became aware of the Bush administration’s defense for their actions, I got to see someone nail the truth into the room of a congressional hearing. Bugliosi is a true truth sayer who knows a crime, not a debate, has been committed by this president. As far has Bugliosi is concerned this was a crime yesterday being addressed today, so we will know how to deal with it tomorrow.

Bugliosi slang the truth as if he was using a sword of justice. He captured the audience in a way that only truth’s power will allow. I know he made a few Republicans mad angry because they could not shut him up. Oh, they tried, but today Bugliosi was in his power and he knows how to use it.

Bush’s lies has hidden behind public apathy, Republican distortions and mass denial for the duration of his term. Today the path was clear for a brief moment and I need to thank Bugliosi for his courage. Maybe, he will establish a framework for how to address this administration’s crafty ways. I sure hope so.

Joseph

What Surge

Crooks and Liars » Joe Scarborough: Olbermann “too stupid to be on TV” for running McCain’s Anbar gaffe

Show me where the Surge has worked at. Show me one battle associated with the Surge. Show me one Al Qaeda stronghold in Iraq. And most of all, show me one Al Qaeda soldier because I do not know what they look like.

In all the battles of importance throughout American history, there was always footage of that battle or war stories associated with an offensive supposedly this grand. Joe Scarborough would hate me for this one: There was no Al Qaeda in Iraq to begin with. I know this because I watched the Bush administration create the myth about Al Qaeda’s dominance from the start.

On so many levels, the people of this country let this administration get away with this big lie. This lie was connected to the claim the Republicans tried to make about Saddam being allied with Al Qaeda. It was a lie in 2003 and even a bigger lie in 2008.

When the Democrats tried to make the case that Al Qaeda did not get into Iraq until America occupied it, this administration took what they could and created “Al Qaeda in Iraq.” Enter the Surge to get rid of Al Qaeda. You know, the Surge with no footage, no captured strongholds or known Al Qaeda soldiers.

In any event, with some restrictions on the press, this administration was able to defeat our ghostly enemy with ease. Today, in Iraq, everything good was made possible by the Surge.

There was no Al Qaeda in Iraq in sufficient numbers to make a Surge necessary. This must of been the easiest battle of the Iraqi war. It is evident this administration expects for Americans to forget what came before the current events in question. This has made it possible for Scarborough to make his claim “know American would remember anything about the Suni Awakening.” As a Republican, he counts on it.

Joseph

How The Surge Really Worked

Crooks and Liars » CBS violates its own Standards and Practice by altering transcript and video of McCain interview

Back in May of 2007, I made the claim there was no real Al Qaeda in Iraq. This claim was made as I observed the campaign of this administration make the case for staying in Iraq. At that time, Al Qaeda was doing everything. They were killing Americans, inserting suicide bombers, and holding whole towns captive. The glaring problem I had with this was there was no proof Al Qaeda did anything. Simultaneous to these claims was media restrictions that kept out any attempt to verify the claims Al Qaeda had as much influence as they did.

Enter good old conservative media, who not only advanced the Bush Party line, sensationalized the campaign to make Al Qaeda a standard player in Iraq. All of this well placed claims of Al Qaeda’s influence set the stage for the so called Surge. It is easy to win a war when there is no real opposition to begin with.

Now, ask yourself this question: Have you ever scene any footage of Al Qaeda soldiers, Al Qaeda occupation, or Al Qaeda dead soldiers? Since we just liberated the infiltrated Iraqi providences, there should be some of those patriotic stories of how “GI kick your ass Joe” wiped out a Al Qaeda strong hold. I have saw nothing, but I did see a meeting in which the story of how much money we paid to keep the sides from fighting was being told. How is that for a Surge?

If there were a competition for which was the most outrageous lie the Bush administration made, Al Qaeda in Iraq would win hands down for complexity alone. Coming in a close second would be the apparent victory associated with the Surge. There has been a whole lot of lying going on.

Joseph

Where Are The Media Critics When You Need Them

Crooks and Liars » McCain: “Oil executives” tell me my energy plan is awesome

It is truly hard to get a complete picture of the campaign atmosphere when you have the power concentrated on one side. When the media controls the pro and the con of the issues being debated, they have the potential to create a false reality. CNN and MSNBC focused on the media’ infatuation with Barack Obama all day. The real picture could not be further from the truth.

Since John McCain entered this race, he has gotten a “free pass” from the media. On a daily bases, McCain makes mistakes that would of ended Obama’s presidency. Would you vote for Obama if he didn’t know the geographical landscape of the most dangerous part of the world? Yes, we know there is no Iraqi Pakistan boarder, but not McCain.

When you cannot conceptualize an accurate picture of what you are dealing with in the middle east, you are disadvantaged at the core of your thoughts and analytical perspective. In other words, he is out of his league. So far, the media treats McCain like he has very little negatives. This was exampled when Westley Clark made the statement being in the military, POW or any other status, does not automatically make you president material. The media framed this like if Clark was a bigot. It was simply a fact — Here and anyplace else in this world.

When the media controls how the argument is delivered, it is wrong, but when you add to that control a say of how it is defended, the reality they create is so misleading and moves into the realm of propaganda. There is often a 3 to 1 ratio in favor of McCain on the news shows. Added to this disadvantage is a Democratic defender who never seems to argue all the points. This is by design; don’t forget we have a conservative owned media. Show me where the Liberal monopoly is? I rest my case — only until the next issue.

Joseph

Is The Left Being Underrepresented

Crooks and Liars » Bill Kristol: Obama is so unqualified

When the MSM holds a debate, have you ever felt, the person arguing for the Left was week? I have sit on the edge of my chair yelling the truth at the TV concerning the argument. The truth never comes because the conservative media is controlling too much. One way the conservative media appears “fair and balanced” is having both sides of the argument deliver their points. What happens when one side is not arguing their points fully? You yell at the TV like a kid in a classroom with his hand in the air who feels they have the right answer.

The drilling argument is a good example for my point. I wondered why the counter for drilling offshore never expressed the key points to why drilling will not do a thing to lower prices. After the right-wing representative expresses their “we need all the contributers for being energy independent, the left wing counter is presented in a week fashion that does not include more then one point during the debate.

It’s subtle but the right-wing media is guilty of presenting the Left’s argument is a week fashion. That is just one way the right-wing media does to even the lead currently held by Barack Obama. The other way the right-wing media is going after Obama’s lead is by chopping up Obama’s message. This hits Obama at his strongest attribute. By chopping up Obama’s message, they have taken away to flow that moves the audience. This too is subtle and hard to see unless someone points it out.

It helps to be aware of the silent effective tricks the Republicans use. It has got to help to know the conservative media is controlling both sides of the argument in order to give you the impression they are covering both sides of the debate and the Left lost. A informed voter is a smart voter.

Joseph

She Needs To Be More Like In The Video

Unless she says something, everyone will think it is her and the Democrats who are responsible for the “do nothing” status the media helps to promote toward congress. Really, this is the first time I have heard from her in months. The people will not know the truth about who is really holding things up unless she takes a proactive posture toward Bush, the Republicans and the conservative media.

If I never hear one more conservative commentator say congress’s approval rating is worse then Bush’s, it will be too soon. None of the Democrats are making the claim loud enough THE REPUBLICANS ARE BEHIND THE LOW APPROVAL RATINGS. If you poll the same folks who is responsible for the rating and ask who is worse, those same respondents will say, by more then two to one, the Republicans are much worse. The media will leave you with the silent impression it is the Democrats who are responsible.

Speaking of polls, has anyone notice how Gallup and Rasmussen continue to poll Barack Obama with a very slim lead? Every time other polling organizations release polls with higher leads, Gallup and Rasmussen numbers get lower and lower. What is going on is an pre attempt to soften voters up for the old “switch-arue –” some word I made up that stands for election fraud.

I am of the believe Obama’s numbers are much better then Real Clear is presenting them . On a daily basis, as the other polling agencies start to contribute to the polling, the conservative pollsters continue to fight real hard to deceiving the would be voters. Someone has got to counter the mass deceptive practices associated with this election. Don’t you think for one moment the MSM is fair; they are not. Don’t think they will not show the collective conservative butts off; they will as if they continue to control both Houses. Don’t you think they will not try and steal this election; they are trying to do that as we comment.

Joseph

Republican Alert The Truth Has Been Spoken

Crooks and Liars » Nancy Pelosi: “Two oil men in the White House” are responsible for high oil prices

I wonder what happens to the Republicans when the truth about an issue gets out. The MSM has not kept the camera on any Democrat long enough to tell all the facts concerning what drilling will do. Instead, the Wolf Blitzers of the world would have you believe, the Democrats are stopping what the people want.

So far, it is not clear what questions have been asked of the American people, and if this is going to be a determinant, lets put it on a ballot to get to what the people want. I know the initial question asked by Gallup was misleading at best. it asked “if it would lower gas prices, would you support offshore drilling?” It is misleading because no oil will come of the venture for at least 10 years. I am not sure, after the greedy profit margin the oil companies now enjoy, the American people wants to give them the right to make this kind of money from land that belongs to the American people. At some point, does any American want to know “what about their cut in this get rich land give away?”

With the exposure to issues organizations like C&L bring, the Democrats finally are allowed to deliver the truth concerning these issues in its entirety. As it stands, the MSM will only play bits and pieces of the truth. This fractured delivery often makes the Democrats seem scattered and without any cohesive plan. The MSM are doing this very thing to Barack Obama. If you have not noticed, they are not reported his messages to the people in its entirety. The chopped up version takes away Obama’s primary weapon: His ability to speak and deliver a moving speech.

The Republicans can only get away with apathy when they can shorten, distort, or mislead issues. They have got to be a little uneasy when they saw Nancy Polosi speaking the truth. To hear Polosi say her congress has passed every bill they said they would pass, with the exception being getting out of this war, the lying Right must feel like they just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. It makes you appreciate sites like C&L even more.

Joseph

Will This Be The One That Will Tear Bush’s Defense To Shreds

First let me note how validated I felt to hear University Law Professor Jonathan Turley say Bush has been using a “lets debate” tactic to get away with crimes. Until now, I felt like my claims that Bush used this as a defense fell into a black whole. I have written about this many times, and I never got any takers to process my concerns for this dynamic that seemed so obvious. Thank you very much Professor Turley.

Nancy Pelosi must reconsider impeaching, and I do hate to say his name in this way, President Bush. In fact, just as the Florida and Michigan primary voters put it, no one person or committee should be allowed to take something away from the voting public. My stomach turned when it was reported that a Democratic committee took a state’s right to vote away and my stomach still turns when I hear the Democratic leaders say impeachment is off the table. They have no right to speak for the American people on this scale.

When all is said and counted, our murderous president is responsible for well over a million deaths. Dam the torture issue because we should be talking about genocide charges. I can say this with 100% sense of righteousness afforded those who have witnessed a crime and saw who did it.

Polosi, along with many key officials, suffer from collective denial. In spite of the obvious nature of Bush’s crime, it is treated like like something less then what it truly is. How is that for denial? Somebody should awaken Polosi and her key officials. This is not a dream, nightmare or an exercise in how much patience does it take to forgive a genocide. This was real, its still real, and if it were left up to Bush or McSame, it would be real for a long time to come.

Today, I want impeachment rights put back on the same got-dam table Polosi took them off of. One of our first lessons in life is: You don’t take things that don’t belong to you.

Joseph

Take Two Do Nothing Pills And Call It Debate

Crooks and Liars » Dana Milbank: Economic Anxiety Disorder or One Nervous Bushie

This country is in a terrible standing posture. We are in an illegal war, the price of gas has more then doubled in the course of 6 months, and we are watching our economy deteriorate before our eyes. Yet, the posture we are in yields nothing but debate.

We need to acknowledge our poor response to any and all our problems. What is happening? Can we do anything to correct our deteriorating posture? Could it be everyone is waiting for the other person to do something, so we are in a “pass the buck” loop? I feel like I am watching the end of America as I know it go away in slow motion.

There is a method to this madness that started when Bush got caught spying on Americans. I got all ready for impeachment hearings in which a long list of additional crimes would finally be addressed. It never happen. What happen is the right-wing media framed the issue as a difference of opinion. It was those who were patriots battling those who demand freedom to have a private life. Meanwhile, the fact this administration committed a crime was lost. In affect, we took our two do nothing pills and called it a debate.

You can see the media coming to the aide of this president every time he’s did something questionable. Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, and now the Associated Press advance Bush’s need to have questionable issues be a difference in opinion. The real question is not why would these media organization do this; it is why they would not do this. They are conservative advancing conservative causes in a dying conservative era. These bastards are facing extinction of their politics, of their 30 year manipulating influence, and of their hold on those who believe they have honest intentions.

In the conservative dying moments, they have stalemated everything. We can stop this stalemate by letting your congress and senate know we need to get pass the debate deception. Something illegal is illegal. Let the Lawyers debate the validity. We can force our representatives to act in our interest because we put them their.

Joseph

Where Is The Liberal Bias

The current state of the media is one sided. We all get the same opinions shoved
down our throats. If you let the current media establishment describe their coverage, they would say “we are fair and balanced.” In appearance, the media will give you a “song and dance” of two sides arguing opposing opinions. However, a closer look will reveal the “song and dance” the viewer signed up for is not the one he’s getting. Control is control; when you have it, you have an advantage.

To see this story concerning the Associated Press is scary. It means the print alternative to the MSNBCs and CNNs of the very bias right-wing media is now, you guested it, right-wing also. Now we have the right covering all bases. Oh yes, this should be very scary to all of us who know what we get from the current media is slanted, paid for, and created.

There is no Liberal bias. However, we sure could use some counter representation. As it stands, when networks like CNN does provide an appearance of “fair and balanced,” the ratio is usually three to one. I recall watching CNN’s version of “fair and balanced” once. It involved three would be Barack Obama supporters and one Clinton supporter. The Clinton supporter was also a former member of the Bush administration. Talk about “throwing a dog a bone.”Today, the same ratio will apply with three John McCain supporters and one Obama supporter. If you have not scene it yet, wait it will come.

The counter to this problems is to support a move back to fairness, assuming it once exist. Nancy Pelosi is talking about re-establishing the fairness doctrine. When that time does come, we need to support it.

Joseph

They Don't Report News; They Create It

This is day 5 with this issue. Why is it getting this much press? It is obvious; the people at MSNBC are doing what they do all the time: Lying.

Yesterday, it was Dave Abrams. Over and over, he kept emphasizing the real "hurtful" comments was when Wesley Clark said “John McCain's war experience does not qualify him to be president." After 4 news cycles, this is still being put before would be voters. There are two very important dynamics being played here:

1. At this point, this is being advanced by MSNBC; it is not reporting news. It is clearly an attempt to create negative talking points to hurt Barack Obama.

2. And this is the most important point of the two. Recall Hillary Clinton ran into funding problems. In actuality, she raised record amounts of funding; still, she came up short. The reason Clinton ran short of money is because she could not out spend the endless amount of money the right-wing media has. When Obama has to spend money and time countering issues being advanced by the media, he too will come up short -- just like Clinton.

My second point brings home a much unseen unfair dynamic. The media is actively trying to force one candidate to spend money to counter their claims. It is their goal to get Obama to spend more money then he has risen. How far should the media be allowed to go?

The issue and point the right is trying to make has poor logic. It is obvious to me someone saying a war experience does not qualify you for president is not an attack. MSNBC knows this.

At this point, the media must be confronted by this dynamic and asked if their involvement have true "reporting" intentions. They must be asked why is this an issue and why are they making it one.



Joseph