Edward R. Murrow or Ed Sullivan?

If you missed the Democratic presidential debate on ABC Wednesday night, Editor & Publisher called it "perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years."

Moderators George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson spent the first 50 minutes obsessed with distractions that only political insiders care about--gaffes, polling numbers, the stale Rev. Wright story, and the old-news Bosnia story. And, channeling Karl Rove, they directed a video question to Barack Obama asking if he loves the American flag or not. Seriously!

I want to know what they would do about global warming, Iraq, jobs and the economy, and Israel and the Palestinians. Energy independence, clean energy - solar, wind, kinetic, geothermal. Gas milage.

Actually, I don't watch the 'major networks.' I watch the Daily Show, the Colbert Report, Bill Maher, SNL, The Tonight Show. Maher, Colbert, and Jon Stewart are more like Edward R Murrow than Gibson and Stephanopoulos. They're more like Ed Sullivan. Thank god for NPR and the print media.

I just signed a petition to ABC and other media that says: "Debate moderators abuse the public trust every time they ask trivial questions about gaffes and 'gotchas' that only political insiders care about. Enough with the distractions--ABC and other networks must focus on issues that
affect people's daily lives."

Want to sign it too? We need a bunch of signers for ABC to take this concern seriously.
Click here to sign

Visions of America

How did we get from Lincoln's vision of "Government of the people, for the people, and by the people."

And Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

To Reagan's "The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Ronald Reagan's Legacy

The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.
- Ronald Reagan

The trouble is, some agencies, like FEMA, SHOULD BE here to help.

Others, like the Air Force, the Army, the Marines, the Navy, the CIA, the FBI, the Justice Department, the EPA, and the FAA, exist to protect the country and the citizens. Whether they are GOOD at it or not is another issue, and it's a management issue. But their purpose is either protective or defensive.

But if you agree with Reagan, as do George W. Bush, his heir, and his older baby brother, his Raoul Castro, John McCain, that 'The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help' how do you justify holding office? Are you're saying 'I'm incompetent!' ? Or are you there with your hand out?

How Many Conservatves Does It Take to Change A Lightbulb?

Eleven -
One to import the bulb from China.
One to hire a Mexican to change the bulb.
One to hire a Private Investigator to check his documents.
One to hire a second Private Investigator to create "official" documents for the Mexican.
One to demand tax cuts for Exxon and the coal, oil, gas and nuclear power industries.
And SIX to blame the Liberals for the high cost of changing lightbulbs.

Southwest and the FAA, Part 2

Cracks in the airplane fusilage - fire the inspectors.
Cracks in the nuclear power plant containment vessel - fire the whistle blower. (google Dennis Zannoni and Oyster Creek)
Refuse to prosecute innocent members of the other party - fire the Prosecutors.
Try to prosecute guilty members of the party in power - fire those Prosecutors, too.
The President lies about stupid affair with young woman from California - fire the President (or try to).

The President lies about war,
The Vice President shoots friend,
The White House identifies CIA Agent,
The President, Vice President, etc break or ignore the law -

So what?
It happens.
Get over it.

What has happened to this country?

"The scariest sentence is 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
- Ronald Reagan