The nice guys here who claim the media is biased...

[Ilaekae]

...have finally convinced me that they're right.

*******************************************

Basic story...

"McCain Campaign Worker Attacked and Brutalized Over Bumper Sticker
Written by Dave Nalle
Published October 24, 2008
Part of On The Road To 2008

In an incident which seems like it epitomizes much of the anger and bitterness of this election season, a McCain campaign worker from College Station, Texas who was in Pittsburgh helping to work a phone bank was robbed and then attacked, brutalized, and disfigured in what appears to be a politically motivated hate crime.

According to a report from television station KDKA, on Wednesday night, 20-year-old Ashley Todd was robbed at knifepoint at an ATM near the Republican phone bank where she had been making calls on behalf of the McCain campaign. After taking $60 from her, the robber noticed the McCain bumper sticker on her car and became enraged. The man hit her in the back of the head, knocked her to the ground and began punching and kicking her. He threatened her with the knife at her throat, finally carving a letter "B" in her cheek. During the attack he reportedly shouted "you are one of those McCain people," making the political motivation of the attack clear. The attacker was described as African-American and about 6' 4" tall with a medium build.

Both John McCain and Sarah Palin have called Ms. Todd with their sympathies and support. A spokeswoman for the Obama campaign in Pittsburgh said that they "hope that the person who perpetrated this crime is swiftly apprehended and brought to justice."
Todd is one of 50 college Republicans working for the McCain campaign and is maintaining a blog of her experiences on the campaign trail. The picture to the right appears to be her based on photos from her blog and shows her with a backwards "B" on her cheek and a black eye. Its provenance is unknown.

In response to claims from pro-Obama bloggers that the story is fabricated and that she mutilated herself, Todd has offered to take a lie-detector test administered by the police. Police will also be viewing ATM video footage to verify her report and attempt to identify the attacker.

************************************************** ********

The Conservative Voice site...

"McCain Campaign Worker Attacked and Slashed - Updated
October 23, 2008 07:12 PM EST

by Jim Kouri - Once again, the mainstream news media are bending over backwards -- except for Fox News Channel, talk radio and the blogospehere -- to avoid covering a breaking crime story that occurred in western Pennsylvania that may cause Barack Obama political problems.

According to my sources within the Pennsylvania law-enforcement community, a man armed with a dagger robbed and assaulted a female McCain campaign volunteer and sliced a 'B' onto her face after he saw a McCain-Palin bumper sticker the bumper of the victim's car.



Ms. Ashley Todd, a 20-year old Republican activist from College Station, Texas, was using an ATM machine in Bloomfield, PA prior to 9 PM Wednesday night. According to police sources a man approached her, put a knife to her throat and demanded $60 from the young woman.



Ashley Todd handed the armed robber $60 she had in her pocket and stepped away from him, one detective told this writer. At that point the robber noticed the campaign bumper sticker on the woman's car, which was parked in front of the ATM. 


The man became very angry, yelled at Todd about John McCain and punched her in the back of the head, knocking her down onto the concrete sidewalk.

"He continued to kick and punch her repeatedly and said he would teach her a lesson for supporting John McCain," said police Chief Nate Harper during a press conference.

The man then viciously carved the "B" into Todd's right cheek. While the cops are continuing their investigation, one officer told this writer that he believes the "B" carved on the young woman's face is an initial for Barack Obama's given name.


Law enforcement sources described the suspect as black, about 6-foot-4, and said he was wearing dark-colored jeans and a black undershirt.

The ATM has a security camera and the investigation is ongoing.



No doubt, this story would have created a feeding frenzy throughout the media, even without confirmation, had a black female Obama volunteer reported a similar incident with a white attacker carving a "J" onto her face. 


Instead, watch how the news media attempt to discredit and smear this woman with the help of their comrades in the Democrat Party.

---


UPDATE: According to the news media -- I'm trying to confirm it with police -- Ashley Todd made up the story of the attack. However, notice how quickly the police were able to interview her and get the truth out of her. If only that would have happened with the Duke University LaCrosse team's accuser; or with the Tawana Brawley circus orchestrated by Rev. Al Sharpton.




Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he's a staff writer for the New Media Alliance (thenma.org). In addition, he's the new editor for the House Conservatives Fund's weblog. Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty. 



He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer for TheConservativeVoice.Com and PHXnews.com. He's also a columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com. Kouri's own website is located at http://jimkouri.us"

Stiil up...

************************************************** **********

Canada Free Press site...

"McCain Campaign Worker Attacked and Slashed
Oct 23, 2008 ... McCain Campaign Worker Attacked and Slashed, man armed with a dagger robbed and assaulted a female McCain campaign volunteer and sliced a ...
www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/5773 - 23 hours ago"

has mysteriously disappeared from the right-wing site.

************************************************** **********

Hedgehogcentral.Blogspot...

"The Hedgehog Blog: Robber Carves "B" on Face of McCain Campaign Worker
Oct 23, 2008 ... Robber Carves "B" on Face of McCain Campaign Worker. We have all heard the stories about the rabid, hateful audience at McCain-Palin rallies ...
hedgehogcentral.blogspot.com/2008/10/robber-carves-b-on-face-of-mccain. html - 23 hours ago"

has mysteriously disappeared from the site

************************************************** **********

Huffington Post Site...

"Drudge Puts Dangerous Spin on Mugging, Implies Violence Targeting McCain Volunteers

Yesterday, a horrible incident took place in Pittsburgh: a young woman was robbed; and then, after the assailant noticed that her car had a McCain sticker, he returned to brutalize her, including scratching a backwards 'B' in her cheek with a knife. Although horrible by itself, what makes this story even more shocking is the way right-wing media has tried to twist the coverage with rhetoric suggesting that this ATM mugging was actually a pre-meditated act of political violence aimed at the McCain campaign.

At 4:03pm, today, a WTAE-TV Pittsburgh reported that a 20-year old woman was robbed at an ATM machine, and then subsequently had the letter 'B' scratched into her cheek with a knife--supposedly in response to her assailant seeing a 'McCain' campaign sticker on her car. This is how WTAE reported the story:

Woman Attacked At ATM, Assailant Carves Letter Into Her Face

Woman Robbed, Attacked With Knife At Bloomfield ATM
POSTED: 4:03 pm EDT October 23, 2008
UPDATED: 4:30 pm EDT October 23, 2008

PITTSBURGH -- A 20-year-old woman who was robbed at an ATM in Bloomfield was also maimed by her attacker, police said.
Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Diane Richard tells Channel 4 Action News that the victim was robbed at knifepoint on Wednesday night outside of a Citizens Bank near Liberty Avenue and Pearl Street just before 9 p.m.
Richard said the robber took $60 from the woman, then became angry when he saw a McCain bumper sticker on the victim's car. The attacker then punched and kicked the victim, before using the knife to scratch the letter "B" into her face, Richard said.

Richard said the woman refused medical treatment after the assault, which happened outside the view of the bank's surveillance cameras.

The robber is described as a dark-skinned black man, 6 feet 4 inches tall, 200 pounds with a medium build, short black hair and brown eyes. The man was wearing dark colored jeans, a black undershirt and black shoes. (link)

The crime was horrendous. Anyone who mugs another person, whether it is for $0.60 or $60, is a criminal who deserves punishment. And to beat someone up--and then scratch a 'B' in their face--supposedly in response to seeing a McCain campaign sticker on a person's car--that is an act that demands immediate criminal prosecution. The young woman attacked deserves a speedy recovery and quick restitution of her property and dignity by the courts.

The problem with this crime, however, is not just that it happened, but the way that Matt Drudge has obviously tried to spin it into a political watershed for the 2008 Presidential campaign by rewriting the headline and carefully omitting several crucial elements. The end result is that a mugging punctuated by an odd act of violence has been transformed at the hands of a right-wing media figure to appear like a targeted act of violence against the McCain campaign.

Not long after the original WTAE story, Drudge added the following incendiary headline on The Drudge Report:

SHOCK: MCCAIN VOLUNTEER ATTACKED AND MUTILATED IN PITTSBURGH...
'B' CARVED INTO 20-YEAR OLD WOMAN'S FACE... DEVELOPING...

Note two things that Drudge has strategically left out of this headline: (1) the actual details of the crime (e.g., an ATM robbery, followed by an assault) and (2) the fact that the robber brutalized the young woman after the initial crime had been completed, when the criminal noticed the bumber sticker on her car. The omissions are crucia because they repackage a story of theft and assault into a story of political violence.

What Drudge has done, in other words, is reframe a report about a mugging to make it seem like the beginning of targeted political violence against the McCain campaign. Hence, it seems from his headline that there are criminals in the U.S. currently out looking for McCain volunteers with the goal of brutally assaulting them--that someone was looking for McCain volunteers to attack, found one, and beat her.

Now, Matt Drudge's blog is one of the most visited websites on the internet and is well-known for its Republican Party leanings, it's deep connection to right-wing media outlets, and the phenomenal speed with which it can disseminate a story--whether that story is true or false. It is important, therefore, to consider the grave danger carried Drudge's spinning of this story.

Given Drudge's choice of words, one could imagine the Drudge headline as the basis for right-wing media and the Republican base to conclude that political violence has begun against the McCain campaign--despite this being a false and misleading representation of the events.

Even worse, the immense site traffic at The Drudge Report enjoys, combined with Drudge's implication that this horrible mugging incident in Pittsburgh was in fact targeted political violence against Republicans, could result in widespread panic amongst by McCain supporters mislead by Drudge's manipulative reporting into thinking that they were the target of some kind of organized assault.

If either of those things were to happen, the Drudge headline of the WTAE story could quickly tip the the Presidential election into a dangerous place by heightening the 'us vs. them' tensions already set in motion by the McCain-Palin campaign rhetoric.

Finally, since Pennsylvania is a 'swing' stage--a state that is still too-close-to-call in the Presidential election polls--it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Drudge's deceptive re-framing of this mugging story could result in heightened tensions on the ground, and possibly contribute to outbursts of violence by people who believe they are under 'attack,' as a result of Drudge's rhetoric.

However Drudge's headline is interpreted, it has the potential to provide an excuse for actual political violence under the guise of self-defense.
Just to give an idea of how incendiary this story could become, since I began writing this post, the Obama-Biden campaign has already issued the following statement:

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the young woman for her to make a speedy recovery, and we hope that the person who perpetrated this crime is swiftly apprehended and brought to justice."

Their response shows the necessary and swift intolerance that any crime of this nature deserves. Whether or not The Drudge Report will succeed with its dangerous ploy to recast this crime as the beginning of political violence against Republicans remains to be seen.But at the very least, we can expect Drudge's spin to be the lead on every right-wing media outlet at least to the weekend.

How mainstream media handles it is another story. Will news producers at CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, and CBS refute Drudge's irresponsible flirtation with rhetoric that has the potential to spark widespread panic? Let's hope so.

***UPDATE (Fri Oct 24, 1:48pm EST): Pittsburgh's CBS affiliate KDKA is just now reporting that the 20 year-old woman in question has recanted her story:

A Pittsburgh police commander says a volunteer for the McCain campaign who reported being robbed and attacked near a bank ATM in Bloomfield has confessed to making up the story. Police say charges will be filed. More details to follow.

I am relieved, in the end, that this young woman was not the victim of a robbery or assault. However, the false accusation of political violence--tinged with racial profiling--raises serious ethical and criminal consequences for this young person. Needless to say, the way right-wing media attempted to transform this story remains an object lesson for this election season and beyond. -- JF

© 2008 Jeffrey Feldman, Frameshop"

[Goog]

Ilaekae, if your trying to say that the majority of media outlets are either centrist or right-wing, then I'm sorry to say that you have been scientifically proven wrong, so sayeth UCLA: click here

I'm to lazy to find the actual report from the study, but I've read it, and the basic summarization is thus:

“I suspected that many media outlets would tilt to the left because surveys have shown that reporters tend to vote more Democrat than Republican,” said Tim Groseclose, a UCLA political scientist and the study’s lead author. “But I was surprised at just how pronounced the distinctions are.”

Of the 20 major media outlets studied, 18 scored left of center, with CBS’ “Evening News,” The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times ranking second, third and fourth most liberal behind the news pages of The Wall Street Journal.

Only Fox News’ “Special Report With Brit Hume” and The Washington Times scored right of the average U.S. voter.

The most centrist outlet proved to be the “NewsHour With Jim Lehrer.” CNN’s “NewsNight With Aaron Brown” and ABC’s “Good Morning America” were a close second and third.

ANnnnnnnnnnd, to show how biased it is, there is a little biddy on the drudge report:

Another finding that contradicted conventional wisdom was that the Drudge Report was slightly left of center.

“One thing people should keep in mind is that our data for the Drudge Report was based almost entirely on the articles that the Drudge Report lists on other Web sites,” said Groseclose. “Very little was based on the stories that Matt Drudge himself wrote. The fact that the Drudge Report appears left of center is merely a reflection of the overall bias of the media.”

and please keep in mind that I vote democrat, I'm not trying to argue here, I'm just stating fact. You can't use evidence to say that the majority of media is not biased or right-wing; the evidence has been weighed and measured already.

[Mirana]

The first time I heard this story I wondered why they made such a big deal of the political side of it. Even if she had been telling the truth it's still one citizen against another and obviously not a representation of the makeup of parties. What is it, a slow news day?

[Red Fleet]

I challenge anyone to look at a list of programming on a major news network and then tell me there is a liberal bias.

[Ilaekae]

"You can't use evidence to say that the majority of media is not biased or right-wing..."

Why would you say I was doing that?

I wasn't saying the media was right-biased, Goog. No way, no where, no how. I'm just finally seeing the light after listening to a few people here constantly telling me how biased left/liberal ALL media is.

For the record, the media is by nature more liberal than the base it serves, unless it is controlled by the government in power. As someone who is definitely NOT stupid, I would be an idiot to believe anything else. But saying it is therefore automatically also "leftist" is an argument used by imbeciles with an agenda to promote (not aimed at you...). This would seem to support the opinion among liberals of any degree that those criticizing the media all the time as biased are generally more conservative than the mainstream, because nearly all criticism of the media seems to come from self-proclaimed conservatives. That should get the argument going so that we guarantee that we have another thread that has absolutely nothing to do with the original post...which is obviously about biased reporting in the media

[Ilaekae]

Bt I did get Drudge in. Scafe was too smart to bite on this so I don't have anything from the Trib...but I'm pretty sure he would have blamed it on Clinton...

[GhostValkyrie]

So. Someone makes a post about the mainstream media outlets, and the best response you have is by visiting pro-mccain websites and blogs? You could've at least grabbed some videos from Fox, or something from Glenn Beck - who is going over to Fox.

[Ilaekae]

As I said in the OP, I was simply finally agreeing with you that media is biased. Nothing else... Everything else so far has been in response to something that I did NOT say...

Oh, and I don't consider FOX true mainstream media based on its track record. Why anyone would is beyond me... Basically, do you agree the reports above are biased, with additional commentary that is/was not warranted by the original details?

[Grief]

all media is run by radical left neocon corporate interest right wing jew liberal white christian fundamentalist social marxist communist nazi private interest elitists.

do not question my sources. i know this because i saw it on tv.

[GhostValkyrie]

As I said in the OP, I was simply finally agreeing with you that media is biased. Nothing else... Everything else so far has been in response to something that I did NOT say...

Basically, do you agree the reports above are biased, with additional commentary that is/was not warranted by the original details?

Uhhh-huuuhhhh...


Yes, that above is certainly biased. The argument that Kev and I were making though is about the mainstream media. Not a handful of websites bent on spreading lies and grabbing a couple of dupes to 'spread the word'. It doesn't mean what they did is okay; It's shameful and wrong - Though not the point.

My biggest concern with the bias though it always ends up pointing to a democrat or republican, usually a democrat though.

[kev ferrara]

Drudge has a great instinct for drama, but is totally irresponsible. The reports you presented were not biased, but they were irresponsible. And every day is a slow news day when you have 30 pages to fill with drama. Sensation has no master. However, it is how a story settles out popularly that is the real "control knob."

As the story developed, the hoax aspect came out and that became the story. Rather than say, the fact that the hoaxette's comrades in political arms immediately kicked her off the team and told her she was a jerk and that in her insane attempt to help McCain she has hurt him instead. She was been instantly shunned.

Two stories there: Desperate pathetic girl wants to help McCain so bad she hurts him. McCain ground crew without hesitation fires nutty girl.

How it plays nationally: McCain camp desperate, will fake racist incident in order to attract racist Pennsylvania vote.

That's the power of the master narrative, which is set in the popular mind by mainstream media.

[TASmith]

Well Kev, considering that's how they have to present themselves, it's no surprise, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's back on the team four years later (promising to behave). Carl Rove got started in politics by performing similar stunts.

It still doesn't change the crux of what happened - a white woman claims violence from a tall, strong, black male, over politics, and is believed wholeheartedly by the press. It's called a hate crime, as if this were a wider epidemic such as violence against gays, the language geared towards fearmongering. Luckily, the police weren't so ready to swallow it.

[kev ferrara]

For the record, the media is by nature more liberal than the base it serves, unless it is controlled by the government in power.

That doesn't make any sense. The media is generally more liberal than those power sources who require stability in order to exercise their responsibilities (actual or percieved). Another way of saying it is that the media is more liberal than the average of all the citizens beliefs.

(the media is more liberal than the country)... But saying it is therefore automatically also "leftist" is an argument used by imbeciles with an agenda to promote.

Since media is based on selling drama, it always tends to be more interested in the radical than in the boring, and therefore, in a darwinistic environment, a liberal media will tend to swing leftward for the sake of ratings. The role of newsman used to be looked down upon, as ambulance-chasing panic-mongering muckraking vultures for a reason (see Hecht's Child of the Century) but somehow, as it became a billion dollar industry during the 20th century it took on a veneer of respectability. Amazing what money and information control will purchase.

Relatedly, the media will always be free speech advocates, because the more they are allowed to say, the more extreme their sensationalism is allowed to become, which translates into product sold. Nobody advocates against their own ability to make money. (EDIT: It also gives the media the all important ability to investigate power without being muzzled, which is necessary to the informing of the public. I should not have left that out of the equation. But I type really fast and I was trying to keep the argument focused. Sorry.)

The mainstream news also caters towards a certain clientele... that is, people who trust newspapers and anchormen and the people who type for the newswire services... Which is based on the somewhat self-flattering idea that one can "be informed" without knowing any of the wonky details. As any lawyer can tell you the devil is in the details. And as any neocon machiavellian will tell you, sentiments are nice, but results are what count.

This would seem to support the opinion among liberals of any degree that those criticizing the media all the time as biased are generally more conservative than the mainstream, because nearly all criticism of the media seems to come from self-proclaimed conservatives.

Sorry, but centrists would also find the media biased. Certainly libertarians do, and they're about as middle of the road as one can get. Neocons are also middle of the road, which is why they're often shifting parties (Socially Liberal, Nationally Conservative) and they also believe the media is biased.

All to say, you're a submoronic full of shit jackass. : (Apologies. Your calling people "imbeciles" prompted this.)

(You'll notice I've adopted your schoolyard tactic of trying to shield your ad hominems with the : smiley. Works great. Think I'll keep doing it until you stop.)

[kev ferrara]

Well Kev, considering that's how they have to present themselves, it's no surprise, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's back on the team four years later (promising to behave). Carl Rove got started in politics by performing similar stunts.

These are great charges. Great assumptions in lockstep with the spoonfed narrative. Character attacks. Hypocrisy. Y'know, I know somebody who worked for Rove in Texas. He got rave reviews from her and she's not exactly a Republican.

It still doesn't change the crux of what happened - a white woman claims violence from a tall, strong, black male, over politics, and is believed wholeheartedly by the press. It's called a hate crime, as if this were a wider epidemic such as violence against gays, the language geared towards fearmongering. Luckily, the police weren't so ready to swallow it.

Excuse me, but sometimes tall strong black males do indeed kill rape and beat white girls. Isn't that correct? And you rarely hear about it on the mainstream news. Why? Because its buried, because its anti-PC to report those stories. Because news agencies are afraid of being called hate-mongers and racists by activists and the people they have converted and intimidated with the race card (See Jesse Jackson). And we all go along with it because of the legacy of slavery and white guilt and the horrendous and ongoing problem of black crime that somehow hasn't been solved by the bleeding hearts after 40 years.

The one time it is okay to print such a story, is when it becomes extraordinary (O.J.)... as it would have been here, if the story were true. And did NBC, CBS, or ABC do the story? I don't know. But I doubt it and bully for them for having some integrity on this, which didn't happen to be there with the fake national guard memo that Dan Rather bandied about a couple of years ago.

(To any emotionalists: Please don't write "white men kill and rape white women too." as a way to paint me as a racist for bringing this up. Everybody knows that and you don't get a gold star of holy righteousness for thinking of it and anxiously typing it out with your tiny trembling fingers. Thanks.)

And TA, which "press" are you talking about? Drudge is just a clearing house for other reporting... http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1

[stoph]

lol, that B looks like she fell asleep on a mailbox and woke up with it imprinted. how that became accepted as a "disfigurement" caused by a "vicious carving" motion is beyond me..

[daestwen]

I will be so happy when the election is over... Just because maybe the lounge will quiet down...

Maybe we can even be nice to each other?

[TASmith]

"And you rarely hear about it on the mainstream news. Why? Because its buried, because its anti-PC to report those stories."

?????? Have we been watching the same networks for the last twenty years?

Kev, I've never heard of drudge before, and don't know what it means, but when I look at Ilaekae's post, it lists multiple news sources. Maybe they're minor to you? Maybe they don't count? Maybe I was misled by our resident feline? Feel free to clarify.

And whatever your friend said of Rove, I read his history in the Economist. I'll see if I can't find a quote.

[Kagemusha22]

"Once again, the mainstream news media are bending over backwards -- except for Fox News Channel, talk radio and the blogospehere -- to avoid covering a breaking crime story that occurred in western Pennsylvania that may cause Barack Obama political problems."

This just made me laugh, as if Fox News was the one transparent guiding light, among a host of corrupt and shadowy News stations.

Anyway I look forward to the end of the presidential race, maybe there'll be less 'Conservative V. Liberal' debates, brewing up on here.

[Mirana]

This just made me laugh, as if Fox News was the one transparent guiding light, among a host of corrupt and shadowy News stations.

To conservatives, it is. I recently spent a really hellish weekend with my (future) in-laws in which one night my mother-in-law declared that Fox News was the only channel that wasn't biased. I laughed so hysterically hard she heard me in the next room and I couldn't stop to breathe when she came in all indignant (oops).

Not that other news channels aren't biased (news is ALWAYS biased), but this was coming from the woman who watches nothing but Fox and wanted us to watch "more than one" news channel to get the "real" news. Yeah, that's when she got to find out I watch about 7 different news stations/shows (including Fox...for lulz) at random when I eat, read two different news sites compulsively throughout the day, and had read TIME magazine since I was in middle school (until recently when I couldn't afford it).

I have this philosophy that picking a news channel is like picking a favorite movie reviewer...you find someone who likes the same things you do.

[Ilaekae]

"Excuse me, but sometimes tall strong black males do indeed kill rape and beat white girls. Isn't that correct? And you rarely hear about it on the mainstream news. Why? Because its buried, because its anti-PC to report those stories. Because news agencies are afraid of being called hate-mongers and racists by activists and the people they have converted and intimidated with the race card..."

I thought I'd finally be able to have some fun here with a decent discussion, but...

...the quote above may be the single most stupid comment ever made on CA. Any one who can't see why, or pick up ANY newspaper to verify it's totally bullshit shouldn't be permitted out without a leash. I'm out of this thread, Kev, and any other thread you say anything even nearly half as stupid in. I was beginning to have respect for you and the other "fair-minded" so-called libertarians here, but this statement just wipes out any desire I have to even listen to anything you have to say.

Do me at least one favor, intelligent, learned, pragmatic promoter of the truth that you are...post any proof or even suspicious rumors you can find to attempt to at least partially support the statement you made above so others here can at least try to understand why you made it.

Goodbye.

[kev ferrara]

Ilaekae...

You're so conditioned it's hilarious. It's like talking to one of Pavlov's dogs. Yeah, you've been offended. 8 Righteous points for you. You're the same guy who thinks David Nalle, The Conservative Voice, and Canada Free Press is mainstream media. Your credibility is zero. You are a mentally-owned partisan who is so ego invested in his teenage ideology, any questioning of it sends you into a fit. :

"And you rarely hear about it on the mainstream news. Why? Because its buried, because its anti-PC to report those stories."

?????? Have we been watching the same networks for the last twenty years?

Apparently not.

Two Lists...

List 1.) Ed Gein, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz (Son of Sam), John Wayne Gacy...

List 2.) Coral Eugene Watts, Wayne Williams, Hulon Mitchell, Edward Lee Mosley, The Zebra Killers...

For several reason you won't have heard of the names in List 2. I would suggest that one of the reasons is to do with politically correct racial sensitivity.

The larger problem of inner city crime is also generally glossed over, but that's a very long and stat-demanding proof and I don't want to get into it for time reasons. If you accept the premise, or can just pretend to accept it, read on...

However, I am torn on whether it is better to be racially sensitive and keep black crime off the national radar for the sake of trying to end racist stereotypes and avoid inflaming racialists, or whether the need to tell the truth about the world in order that sufficient political will can be generate to actually solve the root problem is the better way, (rather than politely pretending it is not there for fear of offending).

We risk getting into the position of the Soviet Union or North Korea where the entire society is one huge fabric of lies and only the insane believe anything that is spoken out loud. It's a delicate balance, because human beings are highly emotional creatures and the truth is often extremely inflammatory. But if the corrosive truth isn't spoken, you end up with millions of kids coming out of college full of hope for change based on one paradigm, and then finding disillusionment and dropping out of the effort once they meet up with the far more complex reality.

I think we're coming into an age of true post-partisanship and hopefully we can really get into these difficult problems (not just social, but also institutional, financial, and governmenal.) and solve them.

Kev, I've never heard of drudge before, and don't know what it means, but when I look at Ilaekae's post, it lists multiple news sources. Maybe they're minor to you? Maybe they don't count? Maybe I was misled by our resident feline? Feel free to clarify.

Yes, Ilaekae posted stories from essentially amateur news agencies.

www.drudgereport.com is a clearing house for sensationalistic information as well as important breaking stories (sometimes both at the same time.) Because Drudge does not filter and does not care about democratic interests or journalistic propriety he can break huge "stories" like the Monica Lewinsky scandal and scoop all the major networks. He also can put a hoax on the national map, as in the case of the B-faced Girl, which is now on his site as "She Made It All Up" with a picture of the girl being escorted away by authorities.

And whatever your friend said of Rove, I read his history in the Economist. I'll see if I can't find a quote.

I read the economist too. I've probably seen the article. That doesn't mean its the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Its just an article. You really aren't cynical enough, my friend.

Most of what the non-left/liberal see as media bias comes not from what is said, but what is not said. And the only way to be informed about what is not being said/what is being purposely left out, is to go to other news sources.... which are immediately and vociferously demonized as illegitimate right wing theocratic media owned by corporate fascist interests.

It's all about information control, sadly, just like any religious cult.

[Black Spot]

Does anyone expect the news to be unbiased these days or even give the whole truth? I read a right wing paper, and make allowances for their slant. As to their veracity, I am slight jaundiced when in the 1960s journalists, when I was there, were too lazy to go far from their hotels, threw money with rice onto the street and labelled the resulting picture ‘Starving Bi-Africans scrabble for food ’.

[kev ferrara]

Obviously, this is a very charged and offensive conversation and I would agree to end it. It doesn't help anybody really and can only generate unhappiness in the lounge and be divisive to ca members. It's too bad Ilaekae can't stop politicking. :

kev

[TASmith]

alright, I edited my last post with a quote from wikipedia and the damn things' not here now. don't know what happened...

let's do this again...

I couldn't find that Economist article. so here's wiki. Tell me Kev, what part of the story here I'm missing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Rove

In the fall of 1970, Rove used a false identity to enter the campaign office of Democrat Alan J. Dixon, who was running for Treasurer of Illinois. He stole 1000 sheets of paper with campaign letterhead, printed fake campaign rally fliers promising "free beer, free food, girls and a good time for nothing", and distributed them at rock concerts and homeless shelters, with the effect of disrupting Dixon's rally. (Dixon eventually won the election). Rove's role would not become publicly known until August 1973. Rove told the Dallas Morning News in 1999, "It was a youthful prank at the age of 19 and I regret it."[10]

10 ^ a b Dan Balz (July 23, 1999). "Karl Rove - The Strategist", The Washington Post.

[kev ferrara]

I committed far worse indiscretions at 19, and so did most of my friends. Woopdee doo. String him up!

Incidentally, Dan Balz isn't exactly the font of all wisdom and knowledge. He's the middling middle of the road guy they always march out to give the democratic-journalist point of view. When you watch him on Meet the Press on any given story, you literally can predict exactly what information he will offer and what information he will leave out. Oh, and he killed Tim Russert. (I read that online somewhere.)

[TASmith]

I see it as no less than an attempt to thwart an election. Not a prank.

I never committed such a crime at any age. And, he didn't admit it till age 22, when he was caught at it. I don't see how someone who does that can be allowed in politics, especially as a campaign manager - much less respected.

And not everyone matures much beyond the age of 19.

[kev ferrara]

Oh please. "Free food, free girls...." This is realllly innocent stuff not just for politics, but for any frickin' 19 year old I've known. I mean, is this stupid prank really anything compared to running ads saying Barry Goldwater is going to blow up the earth? Get some perspective.

[James Kei]

There is a special place in hell for Karl Rove.
Kev, you must have had your Leo Strauss Wheaties this morning to defend that douche bag.

[kev ferrara]

Here we go again.

You haven't read Strauss and you don't know anybody who knows Karl Rove.

Later Parrot Bot.

[Kagemusha22]

Not that other news channels aren't biased (news is ALWAYS biased)

Well for me it's different as British News stations are most of the time unbiased, it's our Newspapers that draw lines in the sand. (In political ideological terms anyway) Still funny story about your mother-inlaw, very awkward, sounds like a 'David Brent moment' where everyone just goes painfully silent as they take in what's been said.