The first four minutes sets the stage…
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In the Village of the Goddamned, Republicans, no matter how far down they are in the minority, no matter how few Americans identify with their party, no matter how irrelevant or bizarre their clueless rhetoric is, no matter how badly their leadership has damaged our nation…..are still, and forevermore, the Very Serious People whose words always carry substantial gravitas.
That's why by a 2-1 margin over Democrats, Republicans appeared on teevee media before the stimulus bill was passed. That's why Dick and Liz Cheney appeared on teevee media 22 times in a two week period, to filibuster in favor of American torture.
That's why, despite the truth that Rachel Maddow pointed out last night about Obama being consistent from the beginning on what he has said about Iran, all the Big Name Villagers insist that the President changed course in his wording yesterday about that country.
It's all very dishonest, ignorant and embarassing…..but that's the state of America's corporate media today. I've seen piles of manure with more integrity than today's American media…..and much more valuable.
CBS' Chip Reid…."Were you influenced at all (on Iran) by John McCain or Lindsay Graham calling you timid and weak?"
NBC's Chuck Todd…"Why not spell out the consequences for Iran?"
FOX's Major (Assh*le) Garrett….."What took you so long?" ( Allegedly, to speak out about Iran.)
All those questions are a variation of the same question. The Republican question. Because, apparently, Knee Padders think Republicans, despite the lowest approval ratings ever, are seen as the Very Serious People…..and even though that one question is ignorant and dishonest, if Republicans keep saying it…..by definition, it must be taken Very Seriously.
See, it's not that Obama hasn't been consistent with his words from the beginning of the Iranian election crisis. He has, as Rachel clearly demonstrated. It's that the Knee Pad members have, by osmosis, absorbed the Republican talking points on Iran, as ragingly ignorant as they are, and accepted those ignorant talking points as coming from Very, Very Serious GOP'ers Who Should Still Be Running Things.
And that leads me to today's reprint in the AB Journal of the AP's Villager representative, Jennifer Loven. Under the entirely false headline, "Obama toughens rhetoric on Iran's violence", Ms. Loven says in her first sentence that Obama's words yesterday were….
"a clear toughening of his rhetoric as Republican critics at home pound him as being too passive.
His appearance came as his approval rating — while still high, and a little above average for new presidents — was slipping, according to recent polls. (WTF?…..65% approval is "slipping"?)
The president took the podium after a troublesome week for the new administration. (Which included) Republicans challenging him to be stronger in his response to the postelection turmoil in Iran."
No question as to whom Ms. Loven thinks should be taken seriously.
But the dishonesty is even worse. Nowhere in Loven's piece does she include quotes from Obama's previous and consistent message about Iran. Instead, because it's no longer the role of media members to inform us who's telling the truth, the AP writer simply, and only, says this….
"Obama said his message has been consistent,…..
Obama strongly countered the idea that he's been slow to forcefully respond to Iran's violent crackdown on dissent.
"I don't think that's accurate," Obama said. "Track what I've been saying."
The president said he quickly responded after the election results and after violence broke out in the streets of Tehran,….
"We've been entirely consistent," Obama said.
Ask yourself…..why wouldn't an Expert Professional take the 60 seconds or so it would take to look up the exact words previously stated by Obama about Iran? Wouldn't that have quickly cleared up who was telling the truth?
The reasons Jennifer Loven, and a host of likeminded Knee Pad Media members, refuse to inform readers and viewers about the truth are twofold….
One….today's he said-he said stenographers no longer believe that it's their job to tell us who's telling the truth.
Two….today's media stenographers, despite huge majorities by Democrats and last November's Republican ass-whooping, still believe that Republicans are the ones to be taken seriously, the ones who should still be running the country.
And that explains how Bush/Cheney got away with defrauding Congress and the American people into attacking and occupying the non-threatening nation of Iraq. That's how the numerous crimes and violations of the Constitution by Bush/Cheney went unaddressed…..and never will be addressed. That's why even "liberal" media outlets, like NPR, to this day, refuse to use the word "torture" to describe….well….torture.
Willingly ignorant and deceptively dishonest.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
He has been consistent in that he's not known what to say or think so he spits out what he thinks folks want to hear. New poll data and criticism told him he needed to word his milquetoast stance a little more strongly, so he did.
He appears to be completely unprepared when it comes to foreign affairs and unfolding events. I'll bet he wishes he would have called a couple meetings of that Senate committee on Euro affairs during the two or three years he chaired it.
Maybe he can just mothball the state department for the rest of his term?
Rev, in my opinion, of course you have yours because you have to follow the theme of your blog as the liberal voice, this thrashing of the media on our leaders has been going on since the 1990's. The media, blogs, newspeople on TV have been given way to much clout. They are far too exposed and they talk so much that their lies actually become their own truths. Whether it is true or not. It seems they have taken on the position that not only are they going to keep the politicians feet to the fire but they are on a search and destroy mission without all of the facts. This includes adding in their own little bits of story distortions and twists and spin. One word or the placement of a comma or a differnt inflection of voice changes the whole meaning of the subject at hand, Rush, Maddow, Olberman, Beck, especially savage are experts at this. I believe the govt each side has given them the job of chief instigators. Experts that will keep us arguing while they and their friends are robbing us blind.
A couple of weeks ago Rev posted a video of Frank Schaeffer. This link is to article by him titled "The Real Lesson of Iran. I have been following Frank Schaeffer for a while and in general I like his comments. Some here will most likely not like his comments but for what they are worth.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/the-real-lesson-of-iran_b_218359.html
They aren't worth much, mary. He's a familiar type–the former religious zealot who has been bitterly disappointed and gone the other way with just as much zealotry, lacking the self-awareness to understand that it is his own zealotry that leads to such hateful unhappiness.
But keep up the good research–HuffPost has got thousands and thousands of pages of similar quality.
You may be correct about Frank Schaeffer but if a member of the Christian Right is not an example of a zealot I do not know what is. So what you are saying is that the members of the Christian Right is full of hateful unhapiness. Sounds about right to me.
are full of hateful unhappiness — and according to you they are lacking in self awareness so they do not even know they are full of hate. Sounds about right to me.
I don't know that many members of the "Christian Right" mary so I don't know if as a group they are zealots, hateful or lacking in self-awareness.
Throwing labels around like that seems ugly.
I know several (some in my family) and they are zealots, and hateful towards anyone thing or anyone who does comply to what they believe and although they are not lacking in self awareness — they are lacking in empathy at least empathy towards anyone who does not believe as they do. I remembered the day that one member of the Christian Right who worked for me and I will say he was an awesome employee — decided to preach to and convert another beer drinking, occasionally cursing employee and I will say he was also an awesome employee. It was a human resource nightmare and after the dust settled they never worked well together again. I am retired now and gone for several years. I still see each of them occasionally. And they were finally put in different divisions because they could not work together. All because one drinks and one does not and one says *uck and one does not. Both were extraordinarily valuable to the company and religion should never have entered that equation and the fact that it did seems ugly to me.
One who drinks and curses on the job and a pushy, holier-than-thou–were you in government work, mary?
Rev,
This is quite an about face from your previous post. Are you now saying it's okay for Obama to push his "moral leadership" onto Iran ? You didn't think so the day before when it was Republicans doing it.
And Rev, those clips from Maddow were pretty heavily edited to leave out the "I don't want to meddle" and other on-the-fence statements Obama made previously about Iran. She's being as dishonest as the media she is accusing.
good one larry btw he did not drink or curse on the job but the religious guy did pray on the job
larry has a strange understanding concerning the human dynamic of change and personal growth.
He seems to believe that those who do an about face during their life over politics or religion, automatically turn into "anti-" zealots. Whereas, I guess, the proper way of life is to remain non-committal……a kind of "why care" attitude.
I suppose that thinking is as good a justification as any for defending the indefensible. Anyone disagreeing with you is simply labeled a zealot who used to believe like you, but, sadly, they became too zealous, too passionate.
As larry puts it….
"the former religious zealot who has been bitterly disappointed and gone the other way with just as much zealotry, lacking the self-awareness to understand that it is his own zealotry that leads to such hateful unhappiness."
Take this for example…
" He appears to be completely unprepared when it comes to foreign affairs and unfolding events."
Obama has been in total control of his words and actions concerning Iran. larry calls that "unprepared." Prepared would be a burnt-out cowboy wannabe strutting around shouting "dead or alive", or "bring 'em on." You know, resolute and prepared.
mary….Independent Fundamentalist Baptist churches all over Ohio contain thousands of white men who harbor animosity towards the "other." To these men intolerance is a badge of honor. To add to the intolerance, they see their god-given duty as converting others, saving them from the hellfire. This creates many awkward and insufferable interactions, divides families, and pits employees against one another.
Religion poisons everything.
You are so off base when it comes to religion Mary and Rev. You are judging a whole group by the actions of a few. "Religion poisons everything?" Rev that is so far from the truth. Religion controls the people from anarchy. Religous people give more individually in time and money than any other group. Look at Bidens or Obama's charitable donations compared to W's or Cheney's. It also gives them a standard in which to live. Other wise they end up like todays America and yesterdays Rome. Broke in all facet. Sure some have perverted the words from the Bible and taken them from context. They have taken the human element from the equation and they expect others to have the same religious experieince as theirs, however this is a very small portion of the religious. This happens usually with new converts. It's just like gays when they first come out. They have a new experience and want to share it with everyone. When some don't agree with their choice they become discouraged and call them names and accuse them of bigotry and being prejudice. Seems to me you and mary are so intolerant that you treat Christians the same as the religious zealots treat the gays. Mature Christians have patience and empathy for all. While we may not agree with it, this is your life, live it the way you want. Mature Christians aren't going to condemn you to hell. Political hacks that call themselve Christians are usually just play acting to their contituents and we (mature Christians) pay them no attention. Actions speak louder than words.
Rev Obama may be incontrol of his words but he isn't fulfilling his promises completely.
I didn't say everybody who does an "about face" is a zealot, Reverend. Those who do one and then hate what they used to be usually are, however.
There's nothing indefensible about saying Obama seems woefully unprepared in regard to foreign policy, either. He hesitates and waits for polls everytime an issue comes down the pipeline. It took him a week to cancel a few weenie roast invites.
What an embarrassment.
Well, average…..you say some things I agree with…and some I don't.
"Religion controls the people from anarchy."
I recognize this as, "If god doesn't exist, why not go all crazy and start killing, raping and pillaging?'
I wonder why it is that atheists and agnostics are less prone to committing crimes than their believing brethren?
Freedom does not equate into anarchy. Those who are free from superstition and supernaturalistic myths realize that this is all there is…..and so life here and now is all that has value.
Mature Christians would be upstanding people without the Christianity. Do unto others is universal, not belonging to any sect.
Almost everyone I know is a Christian or would say they were one. Yet there is barely a family whose lives haven't been affected by the poison of religion. Social Christians, who don't take any of it seriously in the first place, may not be directly impacted by the poison of religion…..but many people's lives are torn and divided by the poison coming from evangelical Protestants and conservative Catholics.
There is no denying it average, without evangelical Christian support, there would be no Republican Party. Ronald tied the knot with Falwell and now that knot is strangling the party.
It is your opinion, larry, that Obama is woefully unprepared for foreign policy.
But the facts betray that opinion. He spoke boldly, clearly and objectively to the Muslim world. There was no mistaking what he said.
He didn't hesitate with the pirates.
He is manuevering the Iran thing perfectly. He's applying the lesson of MLK to a world audience now focused on Iranian Mullah brutality in the streets. He never once hesitated about any of it. Just because he didn't act neo-con batsh*t crazy, like knee-jerk McCain, your opinion is skewed. In the real world, Obama is demonstrating unusual American leadership.
He never stutters either, right?
Rev asks, "I wonder why it is that atheists and agnostics are less prone to committing crimes than their believing brethren?"
You have any statistics to back that statement up ?
Because I have some that contradict it. Stalin, atheist, murdered 50 million. Mao, atheist, murdered 35 million. Communism in general, the atheist states, are the biggest murderers I can think of.
In this country, I'd be greatly surprised if devout Christians weren't the ones who committed the fewest crimes. I can't remember the last time I heard about Christian gangs doing drive-bys or pulling bank jobs. Oh, wait, yes I can. Never.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxonEdmcRTA
The issue wasn't whether there were any atheists making a contribution to society, so what was the point of that video ? You don't think I could list lots of Christians making contributions to society ? How about Obama ? Okay, bad example.
I also don't recall ever hearing Christians saying atheists should leave America, so the entire premise of the video is false. And to my knowledge, criminals aren't given lie detector tests to determine their religious affiliation, so that one statistic about fewer atheists committing crimes is laughable.
I didn't see anything about those murdering atheist regimes I was talking about before in that video either. Must have been an oversight. I can see how 85 million or so murders could be easily misplaced.
But maybe you're right, and the Crips and Bloods are just Christian groups, indistinguishable from the Promisekeepers. Color me skeptical.