American Journalism: A Lack Of Facts, Courage and Guts

It is this writers opinion that American Journalism as we know it today has failed to report the facts and inform the people concerning those things that really matter and make a difference. The latest example includes the recent congressional elections that returned control of the U.S. House to the Republican party and President Obama accused by some journalists of having no guts in dealing with the republicans. (that could end up being the case but as of now it is not.) Some journalists who report the news, printed and broadcast have become the biggest hypocrites and there fore have no credibility in their reporting, yet the American people are fed their trash. Lets take some examples.

If President Obama has no guts in dealing with republicans then journalists have even less. They showed no guts in the run up to war with Iraq or during the war by buying everything Bush said about Iraq having WMD without any challenge. They even down played the U.N. inspectors who were on the ground in Iraq for 7 straight years after the Gulf war and then before the Iraq war and said that Iraq had no WMD. Then they ran with the talking points of republicans that those who oppose the war were unpatriotic. They entertained retired Generals on their TV shows nightly that repeated the Bush line about Iraq's WMD and were melted like hot cheese.

In the news now is the massive debt of the U.S. known as the National Debt. Yet journalists have no guts on the subject and have failed to point out that the record deficit spending of Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 that covered 20 years is a direct result of why the country has a debt problem. Those 3 administrations have accounted for the majority of the country's debt. It all started with Reagan. The National Debt stood at less than one trillion dollars when President Carter's last fiscal year budget ended. It is now over $13 trillion and the Reagan administration has the distinction of putting the country on the road to massive debt. And journalists have yet to really report that in-dept and how Bush 41 and Bush 43 have carried out that legacy of debt. Bush 43 carried that legacy out on a massive scale.

There is so much trash fed the American people by journalists that the Fox News Network openly lie about certain issues. They continue to run with republican talking points even when they know they are false. They like to talk tough but have no guts to debate the facts about the un-American ideology of conservatives.

Journalists have failed to point out the success the average American enjoyed during President Clinton's years and how the country grew as a whole and left no one behind. They do not have the guts or courage to compare the Clinton administration to the Bush or Reagan administrations and how Clinton reversed the 12 straight years of record deficit spending by the Reagan-Bush administrations and produced surpluses.

And the worst reporting by journalists is their constant repeating of the republican talking points about democrats being the big spenders when in fact it is republican administrations who are the biggest spenders. No guts their either. All one has to do is go on line to the CBO for the facts or read my previous past commentary noted below.

The future of journalism is in the hands of those who are now pursuing such a career. Hopefully they will tell the American story in a different way that actually reflects American ideals, truth and facts that do not threaten any one but truly informs the people so they can actually understand what is taking place and make an informed judgement.

Note 1: The National Debt: Betrayal and Devastation dated 12/6/2009

The U.S. Economy Is Back On Track

Thanks to President Obama's policies the U.S. economy is indeed kicking in gear for the long haul. The most important thing now for the President to do is stay on message and turn off any suggestions from the republicans how to create jobs since they do not have a record of doing so. The last republican administration created two recessions, an economic nightmare, record job losses, a financial bonanza for the wealthy and two tax cuts that did not produce what the republicans said they would do except help the rich get wealthier and massive deficits and debt. Trickle down economics was a failure for the third time, all under republican control.

The Federal Reserve and those cable news outlets who are predicting economic growth to be in the range of 2.50 - 2.75% for 2011 and 2012 are full of it. Economic growth will be greater than those numbers. And their predictions of unemployment still in the 9% range through 2012 is keeping with their hope of seeing the economy fail. Unemployment in 2012 will be below 9% and closer to 7%. And when 2012 is over you can boast you read it here first on politidose.

All of the actions the Obama administration took to turn the economy around are taking hold and a continued stream of positive news concerning the economy will continue to emerge. Republicans will continue to talk doom and gloom like they did when President Clinton took office. They will also continue to push tax cuts for the wealthy that do not create jobs or do anything positive for the economy. President Obama will just have to slap their little boy faces when they try too and continue his own policies. The people of America should join the President in stopping the republicans attempt to have a third recession.

Once again job creation is happening on the democratic watch like it always does and will be self sustaining with sound fiscal and economic policies. The little boy republicans would rather help the wealthy so they can collect their dividend, campaign contributions.

As noted here a few weeks ago, President Obama's first fiscal year budget ended 9/30/10 and cut federal spending by 1.6% over George W. Bush's last fiscal year budget. The republicans can't even remember when they last cut federal spending. I'll give you a hint, it has not happened in the last 50 years. Like President Clinton, it will be another democratic President, Obama who's policies will pave the way for balanced federal budgets in the future. And when it happens, you will have read that first here also on politidose.

Sarah Palin: The People Of Alaska Spoke Loud And Clear

The people who know Sarah Palin the best, the people of Alaska, rejected Palin's hand picked republican Joe Miller in Alaska's recent Senate race. Lisa Murkowski a write in candidate received by far the majority vote of the people. Joe Miller has the results of the election tied up in court, a delaying tactic by right wing conservatives that is used to delay the process.

Palin, the former governor of Alaska who resigned and quit on the people found out her star power has turned into a fizzle. Excerpts published from her recent books show the same right wing conservative ideology. Like other conservative republicans she speaks of President Kennedys remarks concerning his religion and religion in general and tries to relate that to her position, however it was the right wing conservatives who questioned President Kennedys faith and religion and the same hateful rhetoric that greeted him in Dallas. The fact is that conservatives of Palins type never supported President Kennedy because they were incapable of debating the issues with him as they are incapable of debating the issues with President Obama today.

Republicans have a history of trying to relate their ideology to democratic Presidents in order to garner votes but it won't wash. Palins latest attempt is the normal republican lies they are so use to telling. Its hell when you can not compete with the truth. And worse when you feel you have to live a phony life. The people of Alaska has Sarah Palin's number.

Korea: A Divided Country Always Spell Trouble

One country, two nations, one economically weak, the other strong, one with an excess of military capacity, one with less, both distrustful of each other and both dependent on two powerful allies, the United States and China. That describes North and South Korea.

Divided countries always spell trouble. Ask Viet Nam, Germany and the United States (during the civil war) before they became a united country. The so called experts said if Viet Nam fell the domino theory would happen and communism would be in Frisco in six months. The experts were wrong and now a united Viet Nam is a military threat to no one and the United States has close relations with that united country.

East and West Germany, both divided by the cold war and a threat to peace in Europe during that time is again one country and the threat of a war between both east and west that would have spilled over in Europe is now united and stable. The United States, united after the civil war has become a nation powerful economically and in military matters.

The recent war games by South Korea close to North Korean waters has sparked an artillery barrage from North Korea and retaliation by South Korea. The Korean war has been over 57 years and those kinds of actions have become routine. There is really nothing new there. The situation has proved that the United States and China's foreign policy in the area has been a failure concerning both Koreas. After over 57 years of foreign and military aid by the United States South Korea should be able to defend its own country with out any help from the United States. As far as China goes, they are not about to support North Korea in starting another war there.

A united Korea is what the country needs. One government for the Korean people. No more division of the land by the 30th parallel, no North or South, just the country of Korea. It should be the policy of the United States and foreign governments to keep their hands off the country and tell both the leaders of North and South Korea to reunite their country themselves with no outside interference. That is the only answer to solve the existing problem. The U.S. and its allies have the economic and military power to defend themselves regardless of the out come of who would lead a united Korea. Once both people are reunited with their families they would not support a new war.

One of the problems the U.S. faces concerning the recent attack by North Korea is that the military industrial complex want a war with North Korea like the chicken hawks clamored for war in Iraq, Iran and now North Korea. If you wonder why I use the word chicken hawks it is because the majority of those who want war never wore the uniform of their country during their generations war of after. But they love to see other people's children go to war even if its over WMD that did not exist.

The United States should lead by bringing home our 28,000 troops that are in South Korea. South Korea should be able to defend its own country. Dwight Eisenhower was elected President during the Korean war and brought it to a close as he said he would. He knew a continued military action would not unite the country and neither has the actions by the U.S., its allies or China done so in the last 57 years. A new Korean policy is obviously needed and sooner rather than later. Is any one listening?

The Past, The Present and The Future

I wrote a post on December 31, 2008 concerning the above subject matter about how the world's first civilization, the Sumerians believed the past was the key to the future. What is happening at the present time indicates we have failed to learn from the past which makes the future uncertain.

On November 22, just a few days ago, it was the 47th year of President Kennedy's assassination. When he arrived in Dallas that fateful day he was greeted by signs and posters that read, "Wanted for Treason" with his picture on it and other vile comments by Dallas's right wing conservatives.

The National Chamber of Commerce opposed President Kennedy's economic policies and so did Corporate America and spoke about the President in unflattering terms. U. S. Steel even lied to the President about not raising their steel prices and then went ahead and did so. The Oil and Gas industry was furious when the President suggested their 12-1/2% depletion allowance was obsolete and no longer justified. The President was also accused of allowing an image of Russia's hammer and sickle on a U.S. coin by the conservative right even though that is not what the image was about.

Now flash to the future, which is the present. President Obama is accused of being a Muslim, that he was born outside of the U.S., a racist and other insulting remarks by the conservative right including some news media outlets. The Chamber of Commerce and Corporate America are opposed to Obama's economic agenda and policies even though it reversed Bush's second recession and record job losses. He is called a socialist and the wealthy have opposed his desire to let the Bush tax cuts expire that covers them.

We the people have not learned a thing from the past and the past is being relived before our very own eyes. The conservative right and their anti American ideology is still with us and growing strong. The people should have buried them and their ideology theday President Kennedy was assassinated. There are many other examples that I am sure the people can relate to that took place in the past and are being repeated today. They need not be told here.

The peoples failure to learn from the past is directly related to the problems that we are faced with today. A fantastic opportunity has been lost and today the same past problems are with us, only this time they are enormous.

The Sumerians brought civilization to the world almost 6000 years ago and taught that man's destiny was not to fail because man's fate on earth could be changed or altered for the better. The present generation has failed to live up to its fate and has allowed a false ideology to spread its venom. Do we, the American people really want to pass at the chance to once and for all change our fate. Truly, the past is the key to the future. The very first civilization understood that well and has given us a warning.

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu: A Very Bad Decision

Senator Landrieu's decision to put a hold on President Obama's Jack Lew as the head of the Office of Management and Budget has seared the good over all record of the Senator. The hold was in response to the complaint by the Oil Industry that it can't get clear cut explanations on what is required for them to resume drilling operations. The moratorium has been lifted over a month ago but the Senator and oil operators are still not satisfied because they think the industry should be able to do what they want.

The hold was put on Mr. Lew even though he had nothing to do with the BP spill or the moratorium. In other words those elected officials who are beholden to the oil and gas industry will use any excuse to promote the same industry who do not have the capacity to plug an offshore spill timely or remove the spilled oil from the waters of the Gulf timely before that oil reaches shore and by their own recent statements admitted they would not have the system to do so for another 18 months. The oil lobby and their money talks. In other words if another spill takes place in the Gulf before the next 18 months, another BP situation will take place.

Senator Landrieu finally lifted the hold on November 18 according to an article in the Times Picayune. The moratorium was necessary, the hold on Mr. Lew was not. The Senator used the excuse of putting Louisiana rig workers back to work but that does not wash. If that was her interest she should have fought for BP and the oil industry to take care of those workers while the moratorium was in place. Elected officials seem to have forgotten the 11 workers killed in the BP explosion which as of this writing no one has taken responsibility for. President Obama has not forgotten. Elected officials who continue to take contributions from the oil industry and continue to do the bidding of the industry have no creditability on the BP spill in particular and the oil industry in general.

Senator Landrieu's position to use 80% of the BP fines for coastal restoration is another sham. As the Senator well knows, most of the coastal erosion, loss of wetlands and marsh in Louisiana is the result of over 50 years of drilling and production in Louisiana and offshore and the oil industry in general should pay for the damage they done, not BP fines. Louisiana's elected officials, both state and in congress have been silent all the years the oil industry has wrecked havoc on the environment. Former governor Dave Treen had the answer to the problem. It was called CWEL which was the subject of several commentaries in politidose. But elected officials don't even want to mention the word CWEL. It may get the oil industry's dander up.

It takes leadership, character and courage to stand up and be counted when the need arises, President Obama showed his with the moratorium that will make future offshore drilling safer because of the new regulations. The families of the 11 rig workers who lost their lives need to know some one actually cares.

Why Congress Should Extend Only Part Of The Bush Tax Cuts

President Obama would like to see the tax extension of those tax cuts for those making $200,000-250,000.00 or less per year and let the rest expire for good reason. Since the republicans took over the House the President seems to be willing to compromise his position, but that would be unwise because of the present economic and fiscal condition of the country. The sunset provision on the tax reflected the fact that some adjustment might have to be made when the time came, and the time has come, so now is the time to have courage and face facts.

Republican Presidents and their party have been wrong for asserting that tax cuts for the wealthy create jobs. That has been proven wrong many times over and more recently on President Bush's watch when his administration ended up with the worst job creating record since the great depression. Those tax cuts are still in effect now and are not creating any jobs. Thank heaven for President Obama's stimulus package and policy that have reversed those record job losses under the Bush administration.

The tax cuts were ill advised at the time of passage because it reduced needed revenue and put the country once again on a path to record deficit spending after record surpluses. That money could have been better spent to reduce debt, to help keep Social Security and Medicare solvent and to make sure the nation continued to balance the federal budget like the Clinton administration did. If that had happened our country and its people would not be facing the economic and job problem that are still with us today. Nor would we be facing the devastating effect of the $6.1 trillion the Bush administration added to the national debt in just 8 years in office. (Treasury Report)

If the tax cuts for the wealthy are extended it will only continue to transfer wealth from the middle class to the wealthy that began with the Reagan administration. The republican party will only be satisfied when the federal government is bankrupt. Their policies, action and talk has proven that already. The 20 year rampage of deficit spending and debt by the Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 administrations have put the country and its people in a position of having to take drastic measures to get out of the hole they created.

President Obama has to stand up to congress, especially the republican House and take the country and its people on a course in the opposite direction of republican conservative ideology. To do other wise will only finish what the republicans started. It is time for the President to be counted and expose the failed republican record every time they open their lying mouths.

Note: See my commentary on job creation for the past 80 years in a recent post.

Louisiana's David Vitter and Steve Scalise: The Problem When You are A Nobody

They both fit President Truman's description to a tee when he said the republicans stand for nothing. The President was right then and fifty years later his words still ring true for the republican party, Vitter and Scalise. They have no positive accomplishments to offer the American people or the country even when their party controls the White House and congress.

Vitter and Scalise like to talk about controlling federal spending and federal deficits, but their party holds the record for both. Ditto creating debt, ditto record job losses, ditto failed economy and it all happened on their watch. Like Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43, Vitter and Scalise would like nothing better than to bankrupt the federal government. They have never seen a republican deficit they did not love.

When you belong to the party of no, it is a reflection of not being able to compete with your peers. And when you want to see your Presidents policy and the country fail like Vitter and Scalise do it is a sign of weakness, lack of character and courage. Its hell when you have to attack some one else in order to get attention. And hell is even worse when you have no record to run on. That says it all.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue's Tax Exemption Budget

Is a 400 plus page budget that lists over $7 billion of tax exemptions and tax breaks for individuals and companies each year. This writer made several commentaries in the past that deal with the subject matter. Jindal and the legislature has kept their hands off this give away of the tax payers money while at the same time cutting the budget concerning higher education and health care in order to balance the state past several budgets that were supposed to be balanced.

The Times Picayune of 11/7 gave two examples of the above waste. (1) $660,000.00 last year for tax reductions to liquor and wine dealers because they paid their taxes accurately and timely. How about that, I wonder how the average tax payer feels about this $660,000.00 give away just because liquor and wine dealers paid their taxes on time. Does that mean they were delinquent before they received this special treatment. And what does the average tax payer receive for paying his taxes on time. The Shaft.

(2) $170 million in investment tax credits and other breaks annually for insurers that are tracked by the Department of Insurance. This waste of tax payers money is the height of obscenity. Insurers raise their rates at will and make tons of money and they get these kinds of tax breaks at the expense of taxpayers who are always faced with premium increases from their insurers.

Jindal and the legislature have not found the courage or back bone to eliminate this $7 billion give away to the people who least need it and really do something for the average Louisiana citizen. As I have commented many time here in "politidose", conservative republicans get into the average citizens pocket a hundred different kind of ways. Their slogan, no new taxes is part of their con game. Unfortunately too many voters fall for this game they play. They are ignorant of the facts and do not take the time to really absorb what is really going on in government. What a shame.

The Congressional Elections: No Mandate For The GOP

The republicans recaptured the House in the November 2nd. election but there was no mandate as the republicans and Fox News claimed. It also was not a rejection of President Obama's policies to move the country forward. The same voters who put the republicans back in power in the House, voted to keep the democrats in power in the Senate. Checkmate, but no mandate.

Since the election the republican leadership has made many public statements about not compromising with the President, scuttle health care legislation and letting the President know their sole goal is to make him a one term President. Of course that is the same position the republicans took after the President's first day in office.

President Obama set up a meeting later this month with the republican leadership but should now cancel that meeting since they can not show him any respect. The President should show leadership on the subject and tell the republican leaders he will meet with them when they publicly refute their own statements and stop acting like a bunch of asses. The President should also make sure the republicans know he does not take the elections as a mandate. That will come in 2012 when he runs for reelection.

The President should take advantage of the fact that the republicans have no record of accomplishments on balancing the federal budget, creating jobs or creating a sound economy. They also have no record of a sustained low unemployment rate. It is the democratic Presidents that excel in those area's and President Obama should remind the people every day.

The republicans see that the economy is picking up speed and soon hiring will bring down the unemployment rate. They hate that and will be trying to avoid anything good happening for the people and the country. The President is in a position to tell the republicans to shove it when they try to reduce taxes again for the wealthy. Bush and the republicans had their chance with two tax cuts that gave the country record deficits, debt, a devastated economy and record job losses.

Expose the republicans for what they are Mr. President, liars and a fraud.