Tag: George W. Bush

100 days of puffery, ballyhoo, hoopla and hype

Iowa flooding looked as bad as many sections of New Orleans. So where was the media? Where was Sean Penn?
Iowa flooding looked as bad as many sections of New Orleans. So where was the media? Where was Sean Penn?
Kudos to Politico’s Richard Benedetto for writing about the way the mainstream media has been covering the Obama presidency in his column “Watchdogs are heeling for Obama”. We would’ve gone a little further and titled the piece “Media lapdogs are lying down for Obama.”

Benedetto’s journalism students gave the media a C+/B- for their covering during the first 100 days. After chronicling a few instances of media double standards in the way similar-to-identical statements made by GWB and BHO were portrayed, the columnist felt a C+ was about right.

His list seemed a bit short. How about the way similar events were covered? One of the major stories that’s been virtually ignored was the Iowa/North Dakota flooding. Remember the overwrought and outright false Katrina coverage? (“10,000 dead”?!)

As a widely circulated conservative-leaning email asked, Where was the hysterical 24/7 media coverage, with reports of lootings, shootings at rescuers, of rapes and murder? Where were the stories of people screaming that Barack Obama hates white, rural people? Where were the government bailout vouchers and government debit cards? Are the values of Iowa and Louisiana residents that different or is the media just that skewed?

What grade would you give the media for their coverage of Obama’s first 100 days? We’d give ’em a D for duplicitous double-standards.

Source: Politico.com

Obamagasm: TV news covers Obama more than Bush & Clinton combined.

Reverends Couric, Williams and Gibson conduct services nightly.
Reverends Couric, Williams and Gibson conduct services nightly.
This will come as no surprise to anyone this side of a catatonic trance, but TV network news has given us all Obama all the time.

The nonpartisan research group Center for Media and Public Affairs along with California’s Chapman University released a study that found the nightly newscasts devoted 27 hours, 44 minutes to Pres. Obama’s presidency in his first 50 days. That compares to 7 hours, 42 minutes for Pres. George W. Bush and 15 hours, 2 minutes for Pres. Bill Clinton during the first 50 days of their first terms.

Not only has Obama gotten more coverage, but that coverage has been more positive than his predecessors.

On the ABC, CBS, and NBC evening newscasts, 58% of all evaluations of the president and his policies have been favorable, while 42% were unfavorable. That compares with 33% positive in the comparable period of Bush’s tenure and 44% positive for Pres. Clinton.

The study continues:

CBS led the coverage with 365 stories and 10 hours 46 minutes of airtime, followed by NBC with 327 stories and 9 hours 38 minutes, and ABC with 329 stories and 7 hours 20 minutes.

The first half hour of Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier,” which the study says most closely resembles the network evening newscasts, devoted 10 hours 24 minutes to the Obama administration, nearly as much airtime as CBS gave him.

But Fox News stands apart from its competitors here – only 13% of comments* were considered favorable. On ABC, 57% of the comments were favorable, compared to 58% for CBS and 61% for NBC.

What these numbers don’t tell us is what percentage of the comments were neutral and what percentage were negative. We’re willing to bet the ratio of positive to negative is stunning.

Source: MediaBistro.com

Bad day in the polls for the Obama administration

A quick review of recent polls shown at Rasmussen Reports may indicate that the Obama administration may be looking at trouble on several fronts.

45% View Homeland Security’s Napolitano Unfavorably

58% Say Release of CIA Memos Endangers National Security

60% Say Government Has Too Much Power, Too Much Money

Most Americans Say Bailouts Were Bad Idea, Political Class Disagrees

53% Say Next President Likely To Be A Republican

Voters See Long-Term Pain in Bank Bailouts

Republicans Close The Gap With Democrats on Several Key Issues

Most Voters Say They Pay More Than Their Share of Taxes, Political Class Disagrees

Source: Rasmussen Reports

Wimpy Americans: interrogators accused of torturing terrorist “with an insect”

If the caterpillar torture technique didn't work, inhumane American interrogators were prepared to move on to the dreaded ladybug torture.
If the caterpillar torture technique didn't work, inhumane American interrogators were prepared to move on to the dreaded ladybug torture.

Remember how the media was so upset about the infamous “panties on the head” torture technique employed at Abu Ghraib? Well, now ABC News has it collective (and collectivist) panties in a wad about a completely different, but equally wimpy torture technique.

“Tonight, secret memos,” ABC News’ Charles Gibson intoned, “new documents reveal in vivid detail just how far the Bush administration went in interrogating terror suspects, using insects, confinement boxes, water-boards and more.”

“Even some congressional officials who had the highest security clearances were surprised by some of the details today,” George Stephanopoulos added, “especially that detail about the fact that (Abu) Zubayda was tortured with an insect in a confinement box.”

Ahhh, but ABC left out one important detail.

“In the case of al-Qaeda figure Abu Zubaydah, who feared insects,” Pete Williams noted on NBC News, “interrogators were given permission to put a harmless one like a caterpillar in a box in which he was confined, but that technique was never used.”

Ironic, isn’t it, that vermin should be afraid of insects.

Source: ABC and NBC via NewsBusters

Democrats demanded Bush exit strategy, timeline for Iraq. Couldn’t care less about Obama and Afghanistan.

Murderous U.S. soldier battling mob of angry Afghanis who hate our troops
Murderous U.S. soldier battling mob of angry Afghanis who hate our troops
The Obama administration has admitted it has no Afghanistan exit strategy. And then announced that the strategy it does have sounds remarkably similar to Bush’s strategy in Iraq.

Of course, while the Bush strategy left the left quivering with anger, the Obama strategy was greeted with virtual silence by the same critics.

One thing we do know – Obama’s adding another 4,000 troops on top of 17,000 troops he previously okayed.

“The only exit strategy will be to leave the Afghan people to deal with their security problem,” said Richard Holbrooke, one of President Obama’s foreign policy advisors. He also said Obama’s priorities include training the Afghan army and the national police force, reducing corruption, and reducing violence throughout the country.

Huh? Doesn’t that sound exactly like what Bush said about Iraq?

Sure, there have been a few small protests here and there, but we’re still waiting for John Kerry to announce that American soldiers in Afghanistan are terrorists. We’re still waiting for John Murtha to announce that American soldiers in Afghanistan are killers. We’re still waiting for Harry Reed to announce that we’ve lost in Afghanistan.

And we’re still waiting for Nancy Pelosi to get back from her latest Botox session.

Source: CNSNews.com

Holy guacamole. Spanish court considers war crimes trial for Bush, six others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSe38dzJYkY A Spanish court is deciding whether to put former President Bush and six members of his administration on trial for war crimes.

Human rights lawyers brought the case before anti-terror judge Baltasar Garzon, who will send it to prosecutors if he determines that it has merit.

The ex-Bush officials are former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith, former Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff David Addington, Pentagon attorney William Haynes, and Justice Department officials John Yoo and Jay Bybee.

Give it a break, Spain. You lost the damn Spanish-American War fair and square. How about we just give you Puerto Rico back and call the whole thing even?

Perhaps President Bush should watch this Monty Python video just to see what kind of treatment he can expect at the hands of the dastardly Spaniards.

Source: NewsMax.com

Howard Dean says, “Don’t call a sitting president a Fascist.” Keith Olbermann says, “Uhhh, not so fast.”

It’s not easy to make Keith Olbermann look more absurd than he makes himself look. But Howard Dean managed to do it without even trying. As an added bonus, he also made himself look absurd. Bingo! Two for the price of one.

Dean appeared on Olbermann’s MSNBC show the other night and was horrified – horrified, we tell you – that some people have called President Obama a Fascist. Olbermann nodded gravely and agreed in his most serious, most reporterish tones.

Thanks to some great research and brilliant editing by Olbywatch, this video intercuts those comments with numereous clips from earlier times of Olbermann calling President Bush a – you guessed it – Fascist.

Let’s go to the videotape.

Bush said “nu-cu-lar,” Obama says “de-fib-ulator,” we say, “Hah!”

George Washington couldn't tell a lie. He didn't need a defibulator.
George Washington couldn't tell a lie. He didn't need a de-fib-ulator.
According to the media we hate, George Bush was a moron for saying, “Nu-cu-lar” (despite the fact that he captained a nu-cu-lar submarine, Jimmy Carter said it the same way).

We’re still waiting to hear how stupid Barack Obama is for mispronouncing “defibrillator” on the Tonight Show. Guess the story was simply lost in the flood of mainstream reportage of the President’s “Special Olympics” quip.

Oddly enough, we had to go all the way to Tim Blair’s blog (“the second funniest blog on the internet”) in Australia to read the about this slip-up.

Here’s Obama’s Tonight Show appearance again. Start paying attention at about the 1:50 mark. He says it just at the 2:00 mark.

Defibrillator – the definitive treatment for the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.
– Wikipedia

Defibulator – the definitive treatment necessary to translate the lies told by any Democrat discussing the bail-out bill. Or bills. Or damn near anything else.
– IHateTheMedia.com

Source: Tim Blair/Sydney Daily Telegraph

Ari Fleischer treats Chris Matthews like Chris Brown treated Rihanna

Chris Matthews misunderestimated former Bush press secretary Ari Fleisher last night on “Hardball.” When the MSNBC host attacked, Fleischer gave him a lesson in verbal pugalistics.

The “Hardball” host had barely said hello when he went on the attack.

“What brings you back?” Matthews challenged. “Is this the return from Elba? Is this the 100 days of Napoleon’s return from Crawford? What is going on with this network of former Bushies — current Bushies, I should say — singing the old song?”

“Well, Chris,” Fleischer responded coolly, “I’m here because you invited me to be here.”

“Oh, yes,” Matthews stammered. “OK.”

It went downhill from there. Every time Matthews attempted to land a body blow, Fleischer dodged it and delivered a stinging punch of his own. He never backed down.

At one point, Fleischer said, “Chris, do you ever not interrupt your guests, or is that all you’d like to do?” Even Matthews’ off-camera crew cracked up.

At various times in the interview, Fleisher called Matthews “disingenuous” and “shameful,” accused him of twisting people’s words, and said “How dare you?”

Enjoy the video, because we don’t think Matthews will invite Fleischer back on Hardball very soon.

Source: MSNBC.COM, NewsBusters.com

Same rapper who hates Bush thinks O.J. Simpson is “amazing”

Here’s a deep philosophical question for you to consider: Is it possible to be a rap artist without being a complete idiot?

Kanye West, the simple-minded rapper who’s most famous for saying “George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” has offered up a few more brilliant observations. While taping a program for VH1, West recently expressed opinions on a wide range of people he apparently likes better than Bush.

“Can’t we give Chris a break,” he said about girlfriend-beating singer Chris Brown, “…I know I make mistakes in life.”

“Michael Jackson, amazing. Michael Phelps, amazing…He’s a real f%#in’ person. He makes mistakes,” he said in reference to the Olympic swimmer’s recent bong problem.

“O.J. Simpson, amazing. Is he not? What he did, when he did, what he did. Was he not amazing, though?”

Can’t wait to hear Michael Phelps’ reaction to being lumped together with a wife killer, a girlfriend beater, and a child molester.

Source: Reuters

Barney Frank. Two impediments for the price of one.

On Thursday’s Hardball show, Chris Matthews asked one of his typical long, poorly-worded questions and Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank responded with one of his typical long, poorly thought-out answers.

“What do you make of this big shift,” Matthews circumnavigated, “away from Bushism, if you will? Away from tax cuts, from people who make certain amount of money and to begin a health fund, you know, national health care?”

“I think it’s what people voted fo-wah,” Frank said rhotically. “There was no secwet that this was going to happen. John McCain kept pwedicting that if Obama won, this would happen, and I think Obama felt an obwigation to make an honest man out of John McCain, to keep him honest. One, John’s always been pwetty honest. Of course, the pwivate sectow is the engine to cweate wealth. But we also know, as Fwanklin Woosevelt knew and as othews have known, that the pwivate sectow works best when it’s got a set of wules and a coopewative set of awwangements with the public sectow.”

Barney Frank, the congressman who gives you get two for the price of one — a speech impediment and an economic impediment.

Bush more popular than Obama, The One now ranks number two

bush_obama_walkingOur thanks for Newsbusters’ Noel Sheppard for this one.

According to the results of the latest Gallup poll, George Bush had a higher approval rating after one month in office than Barack Obama.

“For the first time since Gallup began tracking Barack Obama’s presidential job approval rating on Jan. 21,” the poll revealed, “fewer than 60% of Americans approve of the job he is doing as president…59% of Americans give Obama a positive review….”

In a similar poll conducted a month after President Bush’s first inauguration, his approval rating was 62%.

To repeat, Bush 62%, Barack Obama 59%. This thing is going down in flames faster than the Hindenberg.

Would someone please call Mount Rushmore and put the new Barack Obama addition on hold?

Al Sharpton is a moron. Oh, wait, that’s not news.

bush_chimpReverend Al Sharpton if offended, horrified, and absolutely disgusted that a New York Post political cartoon compared – in his mind – Barack Obama to a monkey. And that comparison is RACIST.

Seemed to us that we’d seen numerous cartoons and PhotoShopped images comparing former President Bush to monkeys. So we did a few Google Image searches.

“Bush” and “simian” generated 38,000 images. “Bush” and “baboon” got 46,300. “Bush” and “orangutan” got 48,800. “Bush” and “chimpanzee” got 132,000. “Bush” and “ape” got 170,000. “Bush” and “chimp” got 182,000. “Bush” and “gorilla” got 356,000. “Bush” and “monkey” got 1,220,000.

Hard as this may be to believe, we can’t recall the good Reverend ever coming to President Bush’s defense and declaring these images racist.

We were going to end this by calling Sharpton an ignorant baboon. But we didn’t want to insult the baboon.

Dick Nixon would have been more appropriate

will_ferrell_youre_welcome_americaWill Ferrell’s comedy has generally been family-oriented. Until now.

Customers are storming out of his Broadway show, “You’re Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush,” when an immense photo of a penis is projected on stage and Ferrell implies that it’s the former president’s penis.

“The photo gets one of the great shrieks of delight from the audience,” said Adam McKay, the director of the play, “and it’s also the one moment that is followed by people walking out.”

Even the New York Times said, “No president needs this kind of exposure.”

Don’t you hate it when you agree with the New York Times?

Leahy wants “Truth Commission” to investigate Bush administration

Speaking as if he had stepped out of the pages of George Orwell’s novel 1984, Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said he wants to appoint a “Truth Commission” to investigate a whole range of decisions made during the Bush administration. He says it’s not intended to “humiliate” people, but to discover the truth.

Specifically, Leahy wants to look into detainee abuse, politically-inspired actions at the Justice Department, and matters of Iraq prewar intelligence. “I’m doing this not to humiliate people or punish people,” Leahy said, “but to get the truth out.”

“And after we get the Truth Commission going,” Leahy added, “we’ll start construction on the re-education…I mean summer camps for the Republicans…I mean defendants.”

Bush says rendition, Panetta says retraction

In the words of SNL’s Roseanne Roseannadanna, “Never mind.” Looks like another misstep – or misstatement – from those wild and crazy guys in the Obama administration.

Leon Panetta was forced to retract a previous statement in which he said the Bush administration sent terrorism suspects overseas to be tortured.

“I am not aware,” Panetta confessed, “of the validity of those claims.” What that means in plain English is, “I lied and got caught. Now get off my back.”

Panetta admitted that the Obama administration would continue the Bush policy of sending foreign detainees to other countries for questioning, but only with assurances they will not be tortured.

So let’s see. Obama’s pulling out of Iraq, but not really. Obama’s closing Gitmo, but not really. Obama’s stopping rendition, but not really.

We believe everything this administration says, but not really.

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak Obama

We always knew that Brian Williams had it out for President Bush. But now he’s calling him something he likely wouldn’t even call any of Obama’s terrorist friends: evil.

The NBC Nightly News anchor, last week on the Late Show with David Letterman, passionately described how he witnessed people line up to buy any type of Obama merchandise they could get their Messiah-worshipping hands on.

Gushing as if he’d just seen his first rock concert. he told Letterman he was thrilled at seeing so many people “that excited about our new chief executive after a line of what the ordinary voter would maybe describe as bad choices or choices of evils, for years, generations.”

Astute listeners will note it’s not him, but how “the ordinary voter” would describe Bush. According to Williams, “none of us have a party in my line of work. We all try to call balls and strikes down the center.”

Lounging off camera in his new “I love Obama” T-shirt, Williams reiterated
that he was completely impartial.

Bush gets standing O (The “O” doesn’t stand for Oprah or Obama)

The fans at this game couldn't be any more excited than the ones who gave President Bush a standing ovation.
The fans at this game couldn't be any more excited than the ones who gave President Bush a standing ovation.
After bashing former President Bush for the last eight years, this isn’t a story you’re likely to see on the evening news.

The former President and his wife Laura attended the big women’s basketball game between No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 4 Baylor.

As they entered the arena with Lady Bears coach Kim Mulkey, they received a long, loud standing ovation from the fans. They were lost in a sea of photographers and camera crews.

Later in the game, the former president was introduced during a TV timeout, and was greeted with another hearty round of applause.

Democrat operatives immediately accused Karl Rove of orchestrating the entire event.

Spike Lee says, “If Bush did it, don’t do it!”

Angry film director Spike Lee has a simple plan for restoring America to the glory that was Clinton. Bill, that is. It boils down to this: if Bush did it, don’t do it.

Lee shared his wisdom at the Creative Coalition’s pre-inaugural ball dinner.

“Look, I’m not an economist,” Lee admitted. “He has people with him, and they are gonna do it…Everything (Bush) did, don’t do!”

Does anyone have an Oslo phone book handy? We need to call the folks at the Nobel Prize headquarters and nominate this guy for something. How about Nobel Prize for Stupid?

I HATE THE MEDIA ™
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