“The People Speak,” premiering on the History Channel on Sunday night, is based on a book called “A People’s History of the United States,” which might as reasonably have been titled “A Left-Wing Professor’s History of the United States” — not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Tom Shales – Preview of Matt Damon’s ‘The People Speak’ on History Channel – washingtonpost.com.
For each troop movement, Obama had a number to match. US strength in Afghanistan will be tripled relative to the Bush years, a fact that is sure to impress hawks in America. But just 18 months later, just in time for Obama’s re-election campaign, the horror of war is to end and the draw down will begin. The doves of peace will be let free.
The speech continued in that vein. It was as though Obama had taken one of his old campaign speeches and merged it with a text from the library of ex-President George W. Bush. Extremists kill in the name of Islam, he said, before adding that it is one of the “world’s great religions.” He promised that responsibility for the country’s security would soon be transferred to the government of President Hamid Karzai — a government which he said was “corrupt.” The Taliban is dangerous and growing stronger. But “America will have to show our strength in the way that we end wars,” he added.
It was a dizzying combination of surge and withdrawal, of marching to and fro. The fast pace was reminiscent of plays about the French revolution: Troops enter from the right to loud cannon fire and then they exit to the left. And at the end, the dead are left on stage.
Opinion: Searching in Vain for the Obama Magic – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International
And the way in which they are trying to secure votes apparently, there’s a good article today says, what does it take to get a wavering senator to vote for healthcare reform? Here’s a case study. On Page 432 of the read bill, there’s a section increasing federal Medicaid subsidies for, quote, certain states recovering from a major disaster, unquote. This section spends two pages defining which states would qualify saying, among other things, that it would be states that during the preceding seven fiscal years have been declared a major disaster area. Now, there is exactly one indicate that fits that description, and it’s Louisiana, surprising ‑‑ surprisingly enough it is Louisiana, the home of moderate Democrat Mary Landrieu who has been playing hard to get on the healthcare bill, and she’s undecided on it. So this bill calls for $100 million to her state. They’re trying to buy her off. They’re trying to ‑‑ with this bizarre, “No, we’re just doing ‑‑ no, no, this is for any state that during the preceding seven fiscal years has been declared a major disaster area. That could be any state. If Idaho had that happen, they would get the $100 million as well. ” There’s one state that fits it. This is an effort to buy off Mary Landrieu. Harry Reid who drafted it can’t pass it without the support of Senator Mary Landrieu.
read the rest here… Glenn Beck – Current Events & Politics – Healthcare bills passing in the night….
Reviewing books and holding public figures accountable is at the core of good journalism, but the treatment Palins book received appears to be something new for the AP. The organization did not review for accuracy recent books by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, then-Sen. Joe Biden, either book by Barack Obama released before he was president or autobiographies by Bill or Hillary Clinton. The AP did more traditional news stories on those books.
read the rest here… AP Turns Heads for Devoting 11 Reporters to Palin Book Fact Check – FOXNews.com .
President Obama will not travel to Germany to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9.
White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said today that President Obama’s schedule will not allow for a visit to Germany.
“Obviously, we have a lot to work on here and we have commitments for an upcoming Asia trip,” Gibbs said.
The anniversary festivities are scheduled for November 9, and the president leaves for his ten-day tour of Asia on November 11.
Gibbs added that the White House will soon announce a U.S. delegation to attend the ceremonies in Germany instead.
In 2008, then-Democratic Presidential Candidate Obama delivered a major campaign speech in Berlin, drawing the largest crowds—about 100,000 people—of his campaign. Obama received criticism from conservatives and then-Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain for using the speech as a political tool to capitalize on his star-status.
Today, the president is again facing criticism that the city that was an important stop in his campaigning is not a priority during this significant anniversary.
read the rest here… Obama Will Not Travel to Germany for 20th Anniversary of Fall of Berlin Wall – Political Punch.
One year after winning the election, Obama has seen his pledge to transcend partisanship in Washington give way to the hardened realities of office. A campaign for the history books, filled with a sky-high sense of possibility for Obama not just among legions of loyal Democrats but also among converts from outside the party, has descended to an unfamiliar plateau for a president whose political rise was as rapid as it was charmed.
Interviews with voters across Iowa offer a window into how the president’s standing has leveled off, especially among the independents and Republicans who contributed not just to his
margin of victory in the caucuses here but also to the optimism among his supporters that his election would be a break from standard-issue politics.
McAreavy fears that the president’s health care plan will shortchange her Medicare benefits. And she said that she believes that too many of Obama’s actions are rooted in Democratic politics.
read the rest here… In Iowa, euphoria gives way to doubts about Obama – San Jose Mercury News.
According to the media watchdog, the administration is being more than a bit hypocritical.
“You know, there’s just nothing funnier than an Obama administration official coming out and saying things like [Fox News is] not a news channel because they come with a perspective,” says Graham.
“We’ve just been through two years of the news people portraying Obama with a heavenly aura around his head — and they’re saying we don’t like news with perspective? The Obama administration is insisting that news is defined by praising the president.”
read the rest here… White House likes news reported its way (OneNewsNow.com).
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » Having Your Racial Cake and Eating it Too.
Critical read on the racial hypocrisy of the left.