Famed newspaperman and publisher, Joseph Pulitzer left part of his estate to Columbia University in New York City to fund awards in newspaper journalism, literary achievements and musical composition. These awards are the highest of their kind in the United States, and are awarded by an independent committee. For a newspaper or electronic media reporter winning a Pulitzer Prize is like winning an Oscar in the movie business or an Emmy in television. You are held up to your peers as a shining example, the pinnacle of your craft, at least for that year. With the state of journalism today, I am sure Mr. Pulitzer will be whirling in his grave at the possibility his legacy is going to be so tarnished by its 21st century practitioners.

*Journalism; Main Entry: Merriam Webster Dictionary
jour•nal•ism
Pronunciation: \?j?r-n?-?li-z?m\
Function: noun
Date: 1828

1 a: the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media b: the public press c: an academic study concerned with the collection and editing of news or the management of a news medium

2 a: writing designed for publication in a newspaper or magazine b: writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation c: writing designed to appeal to current popular taste or public interest*

Read More →

I did an impromtu poll Thursday after John made Joe the plumber a star.

I asked everyone I met on Thursday, “Do you watch Fox?” If the answer was negative, I asked, “Had you ever heard of Joe the plumber before Tuesday?”

Very little in life anymore is 100%. I got 100% of the people I asked if they had heard of Joe, tell me, no. In fact, most of them were wondering who the hell the candidates were talking about.

Which brings me to the point. To CNN, MSNBC, HNN, ABC, CBS, NBS, and all the major newspapers around the country the conversation between Joe Wurzelbacher and BO never happened. To CNN, MSNBC, HNN, ABC, CBS, NBS, and all the major newspapers around the country if they didn’t report on the story of Joe and BO, no one would Know. To CNN, MSNBC, HNN, ABC, CBS, NBS, and all the major newspapers around the country in their contempt of the principals of good journalism. who, what, when, where and how and if possible why, do not apply to the candidate they are trying to get elected Messiah.

I repeat, Thanks to FOX. Without Fox, this story of BO’s intention to “spread the wealth around,” would never have seen the light of day. Wealth redistribution should be done by the hard word and intelligence of each individual. Not as Karl Marx said, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need (or needs).” Sounds commie to me.

I have been looking at BO’s tax plan and trying to put it into context with the rest of his character and philosophy. A tax cut for 95% of Americans whether they pay any taxes or not doesn’t sound like sound fiscal policy. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have my taxes reduced. Between sales tax, cell phone taxes, home phone taxes, fuel taxes, property taxes, social security and state and federal income taxes, we pay close to 30% of our income in taxes. And we are nowhere near his “rich” level of $250,000.00. So yes I would like a tax cut.

BUT and here is a big BUT, I have income that I am required to pay taxes on. What of those people who don’t have enough income to have to pay? Those people who, if they have jobs, do not make enough to pay the minimum tax. Then there are those that have no income at all accept for welfare. Sixty percent or better of those getting a tax cut fall into those two categories. They aren’t going to be left out of the wind fall they are going to get “tax credits.” I have heard the credits could be as much as $1000.00.

Now this is where I am going to slip off into the theoretical.

Read More →

It is 2008 and once again the Democrats are telling everyone how they are going to raise everyone’s standard of living by socking the rich. This is pretty much the same promise they have made in every presidential and off year election since FDR. The Dems claim they are the party of the downtrodden in America. They claim they are the last best hope for the nation to raise the poor and working poor up to middle class status.

From 1933 – 2008 a period of 75 years, Democrats have occupied the White House for 40 of those years. You would think in 40 years, they could have made some progress in bringing the American Dream to their constituents. As John Belushi used to say, “But noooooooooooooooooo!” Why haven’t they? If the Democrats were to succeed they would lose their constituencies to the Republicans.

Read More →

Palestra.net, the College Network did what none of the major media outlets did, uncovered and reported on “potential” vote fraud in Ohio. One woman interviewed on camera was a driver that was picking up homeless people from the streets and shelters in order to transport them to where they could register, and then vote for Obama. She blatantly said, “I tell them to vote for Obama.” I can only imagine the hew & cry that would rise up like the wailing of demons if the Republicans were caught on camera doing something like this.

The object is to get homeless and poor people to register and vote. Since the rides to the temporary registration locations are provided by Obama backers, guess who they are voting for. Someone in the Ohio court system thought this was a good idea. Sounds like it was someone with ties to the Chicago Machine that gave birth to Obama and nurtured him to the point where Richie may have his very own pet President.

They say that confession is good for the soul. Barack Obama’s selection of Joe Biden to be his running mate, I refuse to say Vice President, because Barack is STILL, not going to win. Biden being chosen is a confession by the presumptive nominee for the Democrats to his lack of experience in the area of foreign policy and military affairs.

It is about time he recognized, what most have been saying all along, “Barack don’t know s_ _ _, about being president.” He gives excellent sound bites, but when the bullets are flying he becomes a jibbering incompetent. Witness his news conference in Iraq. I haven’t heard so uh, uh, uh, uh, uhs, since I went to watch a kindergarten reading class. This is from the most eloquent speaker we’ve had running for president in years. But being so close to where real fighting, and real dying were going on must have been too much input for the inexperienced JUNIOR senator from Illinois.

The McCain campaign has made much of the fact that Obama, is not ready to lead. Joe Biden’s selection as running mate confirms, he doesn’t have the experience and knowledge to deal with the bad days, which have suddenly risen up in the world.

Read More →

I have been cruising through the news videos over the past week, since Barack on vacation and we are free of liberal bombast. I cannot believe how bamboozled some people have become over “celebrity vs. substance.” Senator McCain has taken an unconscionable amount of heat for the ads that depict Obama’s rock star appearances. He says it is all in clean fun. And they are funny. But not for the reason the Senator believes. They are funny for showing how shallow Obama’s supporters are. Half of them can’t know what the issues are if they did they would be able to recognize that “change” is not an issue. And that “change” without a presented plan is wishful thinking.

One of my favorite plays/movies of the 20th century is Inherit the Wind. It is the dramatized version of the famous “Scope’s Monkey Trial” from 1925. The real trial pitted probably the best criminal defense attorney in history, Clarence Darrow, against three-time presidential candidate and Chautauqua circuit speaker, William Jennings Bryan. These two titans of their era squared off in a little town, Dayton, Tennessee to argue the merits of teaching Darwin and evolution in the Dayton High School in violation of Tennessee law.

The two protagonists were magnificently portrayed by two of the titans of their era in the acting world, Spencer Tracey as the Darrow character and Fredrick March as Bryan’s alter ego. By now I am sure you are wondering just where the hell I am going with this. Trust me there is a point here. In the final acts as they are waiting for the jury to return the verdict, Spencer Tracey speaks to his client about appearances.

Read More →

I have been cruising through the news videos over the past week, since Barack on vacation and we are free of liberal bombast. I cannot believe how bamboozled some people have become over “celebrity vs. substance.” Senator McCain has taken an unconscionable amount of heat for the ads that depict Obama’s rock star appearances. He says it is all in clean fun. And they are funny. But not for the reason the Senator believes. They are funny for showing how shallow Obama’s supporters are. Half of them can’t know what the issues are if they did they would be able to recognize that “change” is not an issue. And that “change” without a presented plan is wishful thinking.

One of my favorite plays/movies of the 20th century is Inherit the Wind. It is the dramatized version of the famous “Scope’s Monkey Trial” from 1925. The real trial pitted probably the best criminal defense attorney in history, Clarence Darrow, against three-time presidential candidate and Chautauqua circuit speaker, William Jennings Bryan. These two titans of their era squared off in a little town, Dayton, Tennessee to argue the merits of teaching Darwin and evolution in the Dayton High School in violation of Tennessee law.

The two protagonists were magnificently portrayed by two of the titans of their era in the acting world, Spencer Tracey as the Darrow character and Fredrick March as Bryan’s alter ego. By now I am sure you are wondering just where the hell I am going with this. Trust there is a point here. In the final acts as they are waiting for the jury to return the verdict, Spencer Tracey speaks to his client about appearances.

Read More →

Mark this day on your calendars, August 1, 2008. This is the day government of, by and for the people took a major hit from Queen Nancy. We need to change her Majesty’s title from Speaker to Dictator. In order to prevent embarrassment to herself and the presumptive nominee for the Dimocrats she slammed the door on the current session of the House for the Labor Day holiday.

Obviously debate on the issue of Domestic Drilling offshore and in the ANWR, are unsafe topics. Too controversial for the American people to hear the debate. Best to have deals made behind closed doors so no one can point a finger at Barack for flip flop worse than a salmon in a bear’s claws.

Not only did Queen Nancy, Dictator of the House, adjourn a MONTH before Labor Day, (being in Congress is a really good job). Then she turned out the lights and turned off the microphones, and shut down the broadcast of CSPAN. THEN she called the Capital Hill Police to throw the Republicans that remained out of THEIR chamber. The place where representatives of the PEOPLE are supposed to debate the issues affecting all of us, not just the Dimocrats.

Was Queen Nancy, Dictator of the House afraid? Was she scared the American people would see democracy in action? By golly we are going to stamp that out. None of that democracy stuff in Queen Nancy, Dictator of the House’s chamber. If Americans want to see democracy, let `em watch the History Channel. If the Dimocrats have their way, it will be the only place left to see democracy.

Read More →

Back in March there was a huge furor over Barack’s minister, the Reverend Jerimiah White. Barack gave a speech in Philadelphia trying to minimize the damage, but not quite denying the outrageousness of what the Rev. had been saying. In this speech, he said he had not been present to hear the exact remarks, but defended this black bigot by saying he was passionate in his beliefs.

I wrote the following letter to The Daily Herald’s Fence Post on March 28, 2008 after reading Chuck Goudie’s column raving about what a great speech Obama had given and how it was so wonderful and who had not heard their minister priest or rabbi make statements one did not agree with. Chuck is a local TV news reporter for WLS and part time columnist for the Herald. He is another of the news media that are so enamored of Barack they see his eloquence as indication of his intelligence and truthfulness. I couldn’t take this media blindness any longer and wrote the following;

“I have been sitting here reading stories about Obama’s “great speech” on race and racial relations. The speech I saw wasn’t great by any stretch of the imagination.
One of the talking heads on the Sunday talk shows said it was so meaningful for the voters to hear Obama’s message. In that instance, the speech was meaningful, although, not in the way the candidate or the talking head had in mind.

Read More →

When I was a boy, my mother told me that lying was a terrible thing to do, because all you had in life, you could truly call your own, was your good name. So if you lied, you gave up that very special possession. I was not sure I understood at the time how important those words would be in later life.

I was sure however when she told me the more practical reason for not lying. She said, “If you lie, you have to remember what you said.” It didn’t matter if you told one story to one person and another version to someone else, because the one thing that can be counted on is people talk.

So if you stood before reporters in 2008 and said you had a plan to bring the troops home by 2009. He had a plan to bring home a brigade a month. However in April of 2005 on Chicago Tonight on WTTW in Chicago, he said, “… as long as we have troops there, we have to have enough troop strength to insure their safety. In 2007 he said, the troops need to have all the resources they need to get the mission complete.

I guess his mom didn’t teach him about lying and remembering what you said. I realize he comes from Crook County and has learned the “Chicago Way,” as John Kass calls politics in Chicago, but if he wants to be the president of the United States, shouldn’t he at least be smart enough to remember what he said.

First of all as a resident of Illinois, I have an intimate knowledge of, as John Kass of the Chicago Tribune puts it, “the Chicago Way.” Barack Obama is a child spawned of the Chicago Way, a Crook county politician with no national experience.

As Geraldine Ferraro said, “If he was a young white male with his level of experience, no one would take him seriously.” I believe in honesty in politics, obviously the Democrats don’t, because she was fired for stating the truth. And yet Barack Obama can utter falsehood after falsehood or twist and manipulate his words to fit any situation. That does not make him a candidate for the White House, it makes him a sophist.

One speech before the DNC in 2004 also does not make him a presidential candidate. He is articulate, erudite and eloquent a truly gifted orator. So was Hitler. The words the man utters so far have not been worth the breath to express them. “We need change,” is a fine sound bite, but with no plan, change will only produce chaos. He claims he is not going to play the race card. And yet he already has. Note the previously mentioned Geraldine Ferraro. Also note the swollen indignation over Jesse’s remarks about talking down to blacks. He does. He talks down to all of us, pandering to our fears, and needs. He is a demagogic figure that does not deserve to be in the most powerful office on earth.

Read More →