Archive for October, 2006
Network Double Standard on Congressional Sex Scandals is
Obvious and Politically Driven
Alexandria, VA–The network news media are aggressively promoting the Mark Foley scandal to keep the issue alive as the November elections approach. ABC reporter Jake Tapper says, “This is the scandal that will not go away.”
The issue will not go away because, as a new Media Research Center report documents, the morning and evening news shows on ABC, CBS, and NBC have, over the last 12 days, aired more than 150 stories on Foley. Yet when Democratic Rep. Mel Reynolds had sexual relations with a 16-year-old campaign worker, conspired to have sex with the worker’s 15-year-old friend, solicited child pornography, and was convicted on 12 counts of sexual assault and obstruction of justice, the networks ran a total of only 19 stories over the course of an entire year.
In reaction to this undeniable double standard in coverage, MRC President Brent Bozell issued the following statement:
“The numbers are clear and shocking: one hundred fifty-two stories on Mark Foley over 12 days, yet only 19 stories on Mel Reynolds over an entire year. This double standard reeks of political partisanship and proves how far the liberal media will go to downplay the sexual degeneracy of a liberal Democrat and trumpet the sexual degeneracy of a Republican.
“The Republican is accused of repugnant behavior, via e-mail primarily, toward minors. The Democrat was charged, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to prison for very real sexual assault toward a minor along with obstruction of justice. The same networks that gave absolute minimal coverage to the Democrat are now flooding the airwaves with stories about the Republican, on the eve of the elections. If this isn’t evidence of a liberal media agenda, nothing ever will be.”
To read the complete MRC report, “Foley Feeding Frenzy: Networks Air 150+ Stories,” go to http://www.mrc.org/.
By Thomas E. Brewton
In the political sphere, Progressivism is a synonym for socialism, and for our sect called liberalism. Socialism necessitates collectivized power at the highest levels of the political state, leaving open a pathway to totalitarianism. Teddy Roosevelt was the first President to march along that pathway.
The founding generation were essentially unanimous in their understanding that humans are almost ungovernable, that human nature is far from the imagined perfection of the state of nature theorized in the 18th and 19th centuries by French predecessors of today's liberal-socialists.
As James Madison famously expressed it in Federalist No. 51:
"But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, John Jay, and almost all the other founders, understood that the Constitution would be effective only in a society ordered by morality. Just as governments were subject to the higher law of nature, individuals were subject to the higher law of morality. Free political societies require the cosmic authority of religion to keep the people at least headed in the direction of virtue.
Socialism, in contrast, is an atheistic, materialistic religion that denies the existence of natural law and inalienable individual rights. Not the individual, but an abstraction called humanity is the unit of focus under socialism.
As we saw under socialism in Lenin's and Stalin's Soviet Union and Hitler's National Socialism, when there is no overarching restraint imposed by belief in God, the dignity of individuals, and the sanctity of life, there can be no limit on the class-based, arbitrary cruelty of political leaders. When a popular majority supports the political leaders, as in Russia of the 1920s and Germany of the 1930s, whole segments of the population may be liquidated for the "greater good."
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Rodham Allegedly Received Fraudulent Loan as Payment for Securing Pardon
(Washington, DC) — Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it filed a formal request with the U.S. Department of Justice, calling for a criminal investigation into the reported activities of Hillary Clinton and her brother, Anthony D. Rodham, former President Clinton, and Vonna Jo Gregory, former owner of the carnival company United Shows International. Recently released court documents provided new details concerning a scheme involving Anthony Rodham, who allegedly received $107,000 in fraudulent loans from United Shows International as compensation for securing a presidential pardon for Gregory in 2000 from then-President Clinton. The October 6, 2006 letter also seeks an investigation into President and Senator Clinton over any involvement they had in the alleged scheme.
“There is now sufficient reason…for the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an investigation into Mr. Rodham’s unlawful pardon brokerage activities,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton wrote in a letter to Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher. “It is…apparent that the reason for the payment of ‘loans’ to Mr. Rodham by United Shows and Edgar and Vonna Jo Gregory was a quid pro quo to influence President Clinton to issue the pardons.”
In March 2000, former President Clinton pardoned Vonna Jo Gregory, and her husband, Edgar Gregory, Jr., for a 1982 band fraud conviction. After the pardon was issued, Hillary Rodham Clinton’s brother, Anthony Rodham, received $107,000 in “loans” from the Gregory’s carnival company, United Shows International. The company ultimately filed for bankruptcy and Rodham never paid back the loans. Michael Collins, a court-appointed trustee handling the company’s finances, is seeking repayment. In June 2006, Collins won a default judgment in bankruptcy court against Rodham. In July, Anthony Rodham was barred from accessing the $142,000 he had in his bank account. The Justice Department previously initiated a failed investigation of the Clinton pardons, but these new court documents, Judicial Watch argues, warrant renewed investigation.
I do not agree with everything that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says. But one statement he made I do agree 100%, is his views on immigrates. Arnold states that immigrants, such as Mexicans are coming into the United States and are making no effort to become part of the American experience.
And many political leaders in other countries such as Australia and Denmark are asking their immigrants to assimilate into their culture.
He speaks from experience, since he immigrated from Austria.
[..] that immigrants should learn English and U.S. history and "make an effort to become part of America."
"That is very difficult for some people to do especially, I think, for Mexicans because they are so close to their country here so they try to stay Mexican but try to be in America, so there's this kind of back and forth," he said.
"What I'm saying to the Mexicans is you've got to go and immerse yourself and assimilate into the American culture, become part of the American fabric. That is how Americans will embrace you," he added. (NewsMax.com)
His statements did cause some flak from the Democrats. They are saying he is insensitive toward immigrants and others. But I say he is speaking the truth of what all Americans and most legal immigrants are feeling towards immigration in the Untied States.
The recent North Korea's test of a nuclear explosion has caused grave concern. But it also is causing confusion on whether or not it was a success or failure. Of course, this being the election season, politics will be playing a pivotal role during this crisis. However, knowing what is the truth or fiction will be hard to discern for many observers.
U.S. Intelligence agencies believe it was not a nuclear explosion, but a conventional high explosives that was used to create a chain reaction in a plutonium-based device. It is also possible that the test was for the Iranians who have been working with North Korea in developing nuclear capabilities.
Iran will be watching the world's response to these tests, which will determine their path of action in their nuclear development. For the time being the world's attention has been shifted to North Korea and away from Iran.
Of course, the blame is being place on Bush to China, but not on North Korea for the test.
[..] a Washington Post editorial said the Bush administration should "rightly press hard for new U.N.-sponsored sanctions" against North Korea.
"It should take any further measures that could increase the pressure on the North or prevent it from exporting its technology. It also should be prepared to talk to Mr. Kim about disarmament in the unlikely event he elects to take up the framework that was agreed on a year ago in the 'six-party' negotiations."
The editorial also said North Korea's neighbors, and not the United States, bear the burden of the North's decision to proceed with it nuclear program. "The real leverage lies with South Korea and China," the newspaper opined. (CNSNews.com)
By Alan Caruba
This nation of ours is home to some of the best meteorologists using some of the best technology available. This does not mean they have any idea what the weather will be two weeks from now. With this in mind, I offer you part two of my April ruminations on the 2006 hurricane season.
In April I reminded people that hurricanes have been showing up off the East and Gulf coasts for millennia. It wasn’t until millions of people started jamming themselves together in those scenic areas that the damage wrought by hurricanes became a problem. The ocean views are wonderful, but not when they’re in your living room.
Dr. William Gray of Colorado State University has gained a reputation as a predictor of hurricanes and I pointed out that in 2005 he had concluded there would be 13 named storms with 7 becoming hurricanes. In 2005, there were 28 storms and 15 of them became hurricanes. One of them flattened New Orleans and a huge swath of Mississippi for good measure.
In April 2006, however, Dr. Gray was back, predicting 17 storms powerful enough to be named, of which 9 would become hurricanes. By early October, he downgraded his forecast predicting only one more hurricane this year and two more named storms. He did not anticipate any intense hurricanes like Katrina.
So far, the Atlantic basin has seen 9 named storms and 5 hurricanes. None have represented a significant problem to coastal residents. Dr. Gray says he’s less worried about a really big, bad hurricane. Call me a cynic, but I would say it’s probably time for everyone on the East and Gulf coasts to buy an inflatable rubber boat.
Okay, I admit it, I am picking on this distinguished scientist, but I am also amused and informed by the way Mother Nature pays no attention to his calculations, computations, informed assumptions, and ultimately his predictions.
Why did he downgrade his 2006 prediction? A weather cycle called El Nino in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. Turns out that November activity during El Nino years is very rare, thus reducing the prospect of more storms and hurricanes.
The evidence in the following press release from the National Council of Resistance of Iran shows the turmoil Iran is in and how the support for the government is fading.
560 protests, strikes and clashes in Iran during last month
NCRI – The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran reported that more than 560 protests, strikes and clashes with suppressive forces took place by people in Iran’s towns and cities during the past month.
In many instances, the protests which took place in Tehran as well as other cities including Tabriz, Mashhad, Isfahan, Kerman, Bukan, Baneh, Qom, Karaj, Rasht, Babol, Zahedan, Hamedan, Qazvin, Khoramabad, Bushehr, Shiraz, and Khoramshahr led to clashes between people and the suppressive forces.
Workers took part in 140 such protests and students and academics took part in 20 others. Bus Drivers Union, Tehran’s Iran-Khodro Diesel, Rasht’s Iran Electric, Gharchak's brick factories, Hamedan Sawmeko, Qazvin Naznakh, Western Textile, bus drivers of the Copper Factory in Sarcheshmeh in Kerman, Bouran Refrigerator Factory in Lorestan Province, Dezful Sugar Cube Factory and dozens of other factories were the scene of protests by angry workers.
In September, 40 clashes were reported between people and State Security Forces' Anti-Riot Units.
In the same time period, waves of arrests were reported by state-run media. Twenty people were hanged publicly by the mullahs' judiciary and 53 death sentences were handed down.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
by Sharon Hughes
First we've watched Iran's President Ahmadinejad display his anti-Semitic colors in all their glory, and for all the world to see. Then Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's Red was never as bold as it was when he called the President of the United States 'the Devil' at the UN, before the cameras of the world. And who hasn't heard about Rosie O'Donnell's true colors flying high when she compared 'radical Christians' to terrorists? Of course, it doesn't stop there.
David Horowitz's FrontPageMagazine has been reporting for years about the increase of anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, anti-American activities, and bigotry by professors, in America's colleges and universities.
As well, WorldNetDaily has covered examples of the same kind of bigotry happening daily across America. One of the latest examples was pointed out by Joseph Farah, founder of WND last week about Pennsylvania State University Professor Mel Seesholtz's comments in the Online Journal in regards to the 'Christian Right's' opposition to three homosexual indoctrination bills which California Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed…
"A very wise woman recently asked me, 'Who will rid us of the evil lunatics?'"
"We will. We must. Public education and a civil civilized society depend upon it."
Farah writes, In fact, he compares our collective form of "perverted Christianity" to a 63-year-old self-proclaimed prophet from Texas who reportedly raped a 22-year-old woman because she was possessed of a sex spirit and a lesbian demon. Seesholtz sees no difference between opposition to California legislation that would indoctrinate all schoolchildren – from kindergarten up – in the merits of homosexuality, transsexuality and bisexuality without their parents' permission and the use of religion to justify rape. You talk about "perversion," this is it."
I don't know which bothers me more. Such comments by leftist professors and communist, Islamo-fascist dictators, or that some Americans are cheering them on!
The population isn't exploding, it's imploding. In fact, there is a catastrophic population shrinkage. In many parts of the world, there aren't nearly enough babies, says Joel Garreau in the October issue of Smithsonian.
Population shrinkage is happening in Europe, Russia, Japan, Canada, much of East Asia, even China. It has potentially dire consequences for anyone wishing to retire and live off the goods and services of the younger generation.
According to Garreau:
- Sometime in October, the United States population will reach 300 million — most of that growth comes from immigration.
- For a population to replace itself, every couple has to produce about 2.1 children, but the United States falls just short of that.
- Italy and Spain are at 1.3 percent, and Hong Kong and Macau are 0.96 and 0.84.
- Russia has both a baby shortage and a strangely sick population.
- China's draconian methods of population control have created a situation in which it will soon have a disproportionate number of older citizens; many won't have a child to take care of them, and they'll have to work in the fields to the end of their days.
Few demographers ever dreamed that in the absence of war, famine and pestilence — in fact, as a result of urbanization, development and education — birthrates would drop so dramatically. No one knows where the bottom is. Keep this up, and eventually your civilization will disappear, says Garreau.
Source: Joel Achenbach, "The Population Implosion," Washington Post, September 27, 2006.
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School choice can transform the teaching profession, study finds
WASHINGTON – Public schools shun the best and brightest teachers, claims a study released today by the Cato Institute. Indeed, the study finds that the best teachers fare worse than their mediocre colleagues due to biases in hiring and compensation practices.
In the study "Giving Kids the Chaff: How to Find and Keep the Teachers We Need," Marie Gryphon, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, reveals serious flaws in the teacher training, selection, and retention practices of monopolistic state school systems, and argues that market-driven personnel policies produce a far superior alternative to the status quo.
In public schools, "teachers are chosen and compensated on the basis of criteria set by teachers' unions and other entrenched interests," Gryphon explains. "Because those criteria do not focus on the qualities that define good teachers, they often favor less-qualified applicants over applicants whose skills could dramatically improve educational outcomes for their students."
While many policymakers advocate across-the-board salary increases, Gryphon finds that such pay raises do not, in fact, improve teacher quality. In actuality, "untargeted, across-the-board teacher salary hikes may lower the overall quality of the teaching workforce, because they may attract more low-quality applicants," she states. "Only new hiring policies that effectively separate the wheat from the chaff can transform the teaching profession."
Give parents school choice, and give schools the autonomy and incentives they need to hire the best teachers, Gryphon recommends. School choice will foster competition among schools, and in turn, "public school administrators seek out higher-performing applicants and work harder to retain them." This effect, Gryphon finds, is "especially pronounced in low-income districts and can meaningfully improve educational outcomes for poor students."
Source: CATO Institute