We have a horrible economy and unemployment approaching 10%. Yet our presidential administration is spending its time declaring war with FoxNews and de facto legalizing medical marijuana.
A question to the 52% ... what's up?
Stirring-the-pot update: Excuses wearing thin
i must be a moron for not understanding thebeef for telling federal agents to leave people alone who are not breaking the law.
ReplyDeleteYou're not a moron.
ReplyDeleteEleven states have legalized medical marijuana under certain circumstances. However, federal law outlaws marijuana. And federal law preempts (or overrules) state law. Therefore, marijuana is illegal everywhere under federal law. No matter what you think about the issue, people who smoke marijuana for medical purposes are breaking existing federal law.
The Obama administration has basically said today that it will not enforce an existing federal criminal statute.
Its sad that there is only a few postings on this, and many more on the NFL. Our economy sinks and our government is spending money that is out of control. More people are concern about the NFL then our country.
ReplyDeleteAnother assault on the 1st ammendment. The White House calling for a boycot of a news agency that it doesn't like? If you're not scared you should be!
ReplyDeleteThis isn't about bias, it's about dissent and truth...things they don't like. MSNBC is a mouthpiece for the left, yet that isn't a problem because it's THEIR side. Beware the government media complex.
WARNING! WARNING!
Since you're so concerned about the 1st Amendment, 7:57, I assume you're just as angry at the Bush administration since Dana Perino recently admitted they froze out MSNBC.
ReplyDeleteAmen 7:23!!!
ReplyDeleteNote that polls show that Fox news has more evening viewers than CNN MSNBC and others.
Also, I just want to meet one person who was personally affected by the stimulus money - what did they get and how do they feel that their life is now better, improved, and stimulated. When I get to talk to that person I will think about getting on board with a second stimulus plan. Until then... I want my taxes back
i agree with 7:23 are government is spending money like CRAZY.... its not candy you dumbbutts.... the factorys ain't going to make more of it
ReplyDeleteWe should push all these leftist commies into California and sink the state. Protect our constitution! Palin 2012!
ReplyDeleteTo 8:22,
ReplyDeleteRegarding your stimulus quesion. (Don't forget that there were two) The second stimulus (Obama) is being funneled to your local schools and to pay unemployment compensation, avoiding further taxation to you. The first (Bush) that was spent bailing out the irresponsible banks on Wall Street is now set to be paid out in employee bonuses. This is the clearest example of US political difference: Democrats give your money to poorer people while Republicans give it to the rich. Pick your poison!!
to 7:06am,
ReplyDeleteyou have hit on one of the biggest political differences between the parties. it's perspective.
yes - the democrats tend to favor "money to poorer people" in the form of welfare and social programs.
and yes - republicans favor "giving it to the rich" in the form of tax cuts and incentives.
the difference is that the republican approach benefits everybody by bolstering the economy, and creating lots of rich people - who in turn create jobs that pay the poor people. everybody benefits.
democrats just take the money from the rich (through taxation) and give it to the poor - without any regard for what they're doing to the economy.
what we're going through now is the after-affects of a republican administration which abandoned the conservative approach - followed by a far-left administration which is now throwing gas on the fire.
The government is slowly taking over our lives. It’s not about being a democrat or republican, it’s about being an American. We as American’s have every right to be nervous; they are slowly taking our freedoms from us and spending us into oblivious.
ReplyDeleteThe government expects us to live by a yet to be determined national healthcare package, yet it is not good enough for them, so they have their own… they expect us to accept the bankrupt social security program, but yet it is not good enough for them, they claim to be special and get their own retirement program. They want us to pay a penalty because according to them we Americans are leaving to big of a carbon footprint in this world, however they fly around in “our” planes like we do cars, they live way above most working class citizens, on our tax dollars.
The government has no form of earning money, only letting us earn it, then take it away from us. It seems quite strange that the American’s servants (the government) tend to have more control and better lives than us footing the bill. I do believe something is “bass ackwards”.
Regards to the stimulus question... I just want to meet one person who was personally affected by the stimulus money - what did they get and how do they feel that their life is now better, improved, and stimulated. Our life has been affected in a big way. He works for a company that does business at Wright Patt and they've had to hire numerous people to get all the work that needs done. That is all thanks to stimulus money.
ReplyDelete@DJ
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned perspective being the difference. A different perspective would say that trickle down economics bets on the ability of the existing rich to make more rich, which can be stunted when the rich get richer without trickling down any money.
Democrats take money from everyone, but have an emphasis on assisting the lower and middle classes, which could be said is a means to encourage spending by those groups, and in turn creating more jobs, more spending, etc.
When it's simplified, it's the two different means to the same end. Leftists (again, simplifying) don't trust in the ability of the rich to pass on the wealth, rather than hold it for their own.
On topic: Has there been no challenge from the Federal government regarding medicinal marijuna legislation? Surely if it is as cut and dry it seems (federal over rules state), then it would have been contested and turned down, rather than spreading, right?
With regards to Fox, I listen to their radio programs during my commute at times. I like hearing their side as on many issues i tend to lean left (on a lot of fiscal issus I am more conservative). I find it interesting to hear an opposing viewpoint, but sometimes it can get a little ridiculous. the Bush Admin did the same sort of stuff to MSNBC, but it just seems like Fox News has really turned up the heat lately in terms of dogged one sided criticism (which is completely fine, they have an obligation to their advertisers to sustain high ratings).
Regarding Fox News' "dogged one sided criticism," what is your proof?
ReplyDeleteExamples of "dogged one sided criticism"? You can start with these:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/20/the-ten-most-egregious-fo_n_327140.html
Some might just call them "lies."
Uhm, watching it? LOL...They constantly dog the democratic party. They very rarely say anything positive about it. Plus, everyone worships Rush like he's the next Jesus. Nevermind his drug charges, his many wives and his lack of education. He doesn't follow the conservative values, yet he's revered. It confuses me.
ReplyDeleteAs for legalizing medical MJ, I don't see what the big deal is.
Well, at least you didn't cite Media Matters. But Huffington Post is almost just as bad. It's funny that you are attempting to undercut a news network whose viewership is made up of nearly equal amounts of conservatives, maderates, and liberals by citing to a website that unapologetically labels itself far left. What the heck?
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to spend my day knocking down those 10, but a fair amount of them were made by opinion people. The one statement that was out of line, by E.D. Hill, wasn't really a distortion, and she was fired for it.
Bigger point: to the extent that some of these were over-the-top, or distortions (which I do not concede at all) they are so incredibly innocent compared to the outright liberal bias exhibited on a daily basis by ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, PBS, and just about every newspaper in America.
Katrina, I'm not against a medical marijuana law, if it's limited and makes sense. The problem is that congress decided that having/using marijuana should be illegal. That's the law right now. And Obama has made the executive decision that he's not going to enforce a law that's on the books. Changing the law is the job of the legislature, not the president.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Rush Limbaugh, I'm sick and tired of the "hypocrite" argument. The same thing happens every time a republican gets outed as a gay person. Usually, liberals defend gays and the gay lifestyle, but when a republican turns out to be gay, then it's all a bunch of ridicule and snickering.
Here's the deal. We're all flawed. We all have standards we would like to live by ourselves, but fall short all the time. This is not a party thing, but a human thing. I don't want the rules of society to be based upon my own personal failings. That would be stupid. I want a high set of standards for our society.
Another way of looking at it is this. I'm a Christian, and as among my friends, I am willing to accept a lot of shortcomings. If my friends make a misjudgment, I don't end the friendship and I try to forgive them if appropriate. They will do the same for me hopefully. But just because I accept these shortcomings (in my friends, but with myself also) I don't want those low standards to be the rules for society.
So when it comes to Rush Limbaugh, a lot of people attack him personally because they can't attack his message. Or, recently, they'll just lie about his message.
I do not condone Rush's drug use (although when liberals overcome a drug problem, it's usually cause for citing their courage). And I don't like it that Rush has been divorced necessarily. And maybe those things make him a hypocrite. But those things do not diminish his message. I challenge all the liberals out there ... actually listen to his show and then tell me how he's getting it wrong.
There are so many problems with the two postings at 1:46 and 2:02, DJ, that it's driving me insane. I know it's pointless to try to argue with someone who's not interested in listening, but for the sake of veracity, here I go:
ReplyDelete1) Of course I recognize the contradiction inherent in posting something critical of Fox that appeared on Huffington. But it's worth mentioning that Huffington didn't MAKE those clips. They're not fabricated or manufactured. They posted them, as they appeared on Fox, as examples of the way the network distorts the truth. You can't blame the Huffington Post for things Fox has done to misrepresent the truth.
2) E.D. Hill's "terrorist fist jab" statement wasn't a distortion? Really? Implying that Obama and his wife are terrorists is okay with you?
3) Examples of liberal bias in the mainstream media, please. Conservatives love to spout that talking point, but never seem able to actually provide examples.
4) Liberals don't ridicule gay conservatives because they're gay. They ridicule them because conservatives repeatedly demonize gays as being abhorrent and immoral. It's the hypocrisy, not the homosexuality, that deserves ridicule.
5) People attack Rush Limbaugh's drug use, again, because he's so quick to attack the shortcomings of others. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, and all of that.
The bottom line is that for at least the next three years Limbaugh and the rest of the hardcore conservatives will object to anything Obama does, for no good reason other than because it's Obama. That displays a serious lack of critical thought and reflection, which is exactly what I've come to expect from conservatives. As long as you've got some nifty catch-phrases (Death panels! Tea parties! Secret Muslim! Socialism!) you can avoid actually thinking about anything with any degree of sophistication.
Am I happy with everything Obama's done so far? Not even close. His handling of health care reform has been poor, and I'm deeply saddened that he's jumped on the No Child Left Behind train that emphasizes standardized testing and merit pay. He will do other things that disappoint me, I'm sure. Conversely, for all Bush's failures, I think it's amazing and inspiring that he gave as much aid as he did to combat AIDS in Africa, and it's impressive that he showed a commitment to put more physicians in needy areas by strengthening the National Health Service Corps.
I'm not interested in completely lambasting one president and lauding the other, because neither is accurate and neither requires any degree of intellectual thought. It's unfortunate that the conservatives continually resort to the knee-jerk position that says everything Obama does is terrible. Sites like this one -- and the conservatives who contribute here -- do nothing to dispel the idea that the GOP has no real interest in being constructive. All they seem to want to do is obstruct, which helps no one.
E.D. Hill's statement was not a distortion. It was stupid.
ReplyDeleteAs for liberal media bias, check out newsbusters.org (a great website that utilizes only the best writers in the world!).
You talk about republican obstructionism ... and I ask: what obstructionism? Democrats control all 3 branches of government. Any failure to get anything done is solely their problem. By definition, any failure to pass health care is a democratic failure because they control the process. The dems are trying, and failing, to scapegoat republicans for this, but the fact is that they can't close the deal themselves.
Your comments are similar to what I hear from my other liberal friends. The democrats finally, after many years, have complete control. And they're blowing it. And you know it.
I don't like your viewpoint and I'm sure you don't like mine. However, I think it's nice that we are allowed to disagree with you. ;) A lot of websites/blogs/forums wouldn't even allow our viewpoints to be posted.
ReplyDeleteSo long, Darke Journal. I tried to offer up a level-headed rebuttal of your points and a rational explanation of why liberals (or at least myself) have a problem with Limbaugh and the GOP, and you conveniently ignored virtually everything I said. This is precisely why the GOP responds to Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, and O'Reilly. Unless an argument is delivered in histrionic soundbites, it's apparently not worth considering. But, like I said, it's tough to argue with someone who won't listen. Enjoy your echo chamber.
ReplyDeleteTo DJ 8:24 AM
ReplyDeleteYep, it's perspective alright. But I heartily disagree that "tax cuts for the wealthy bolster the whole economy."
20 years ago the richest one percent of Americans owned 19 percent of all private wealth. Today that same 1% owns 40 percent. The reverse-Robin Hood Reagan regime cut taxes on corporations and the wealthy, promising that the gains would trickle down into investments and jobs. Instead, the money trickled up in the form of speculative stock market winnings, obscene corporate executive compensations, and political contributions that further increased the privileges of the wealthy. Between 1983 and 1989,the assets of the richest 500 families in the US rose from $2.5 trillion to $5 trillion. If they had paid just one third of that in taxes, they would still have become fabulously wealthier, and there would have been NO government deficit-- a deficit which is now being resolved by cutting benefits to the poor and middle class.
Your perspective has been thoroughly tested and has proven to be very deleterious; to all but the wealthiest Americans.
I'm inclined to be offended 5:36, but I need to look up "deleterious" first ... :)
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous 5:30 PM
ReplyDeleteI, for one, hope you don't leave. Your writing is concise and well-thought. Sure, it's tough to play in another's yard with his bat and ball; but without people like you this will become an echo chamber with no critical thinking by either side.
What is this "another's yard with his bat and ball" ???? I haven't rejected any comments on this thread, and if anything it's unfair to me. You all know who I am ... or can find out without much trouble. Whereas all of you are throwing bombs under the title "anonymous," with the exception of my friend Katrina. Plus, it looks to me like I'm outnumbered here.
ReplyDeleteYou may not like my method of discussion, but I will expand on my sentiment from before. I can commiserate with you liberal folks - and your sensitivity - and your concern about what's going on. Because after all, it was pretty difficult being a conservative and watching what happened, slowly, painfully from 2004-2008. And now you're experience a different version of the same thing. Things aren't going your way. The criticism is mounting. Great hopes are being dashed. I feel your pain ... :)
DJ: You have, maybe unknowingly, just made your greatest point: that both sides are egregiously wrong!! Your admitted disillusionment in 2004-08, and your observation of our current feelings, are both correct.
ReplyDeleteNow, let's carry the reasoning one step further; You still continued to vote R and we will most likely continue to vote D. Why? Because there is no centrist alternative. As long as the process remains the lesser of two evils, there can be no progress.
"It riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave."
I believe that the conservative way is the right way. Bush lost his way fiscally, especially in his second term. He didn't act conservatively and he got crushed. My party nominated a moderate for president in 2008, and he got crushed. I think conservatism is the answer, and Republicans lost their conservative principles from 04-08. And they paid dearly for it.
ReplyDeleteI further think that democrats have completely misread the results of the 2006 and 2008 elections. I believe that people are fed up with their government - and are in the process of throwing everybody out. Since republicans were in power, they were first to go. And now all those centrists are going to take care of the democrats - although I think their enthusiasm has been bolstered by Obama's far left agenda.
Easy answer to everything: Liberals (excuse me, "progressives") tend to be smart, but misguided in their concern for "the poor". Conservatives tend to dislike intrusive government---but we both can compromise, really---- the biggest problem? Obama is a stupid man who speaks well, but so did Charlie McCarthy.
ReplyDeleteDJ:
ReplyDeleteBush lost his fiscal way far less than Reagan (in his second term) before him. When the Gipper left office, the national debt had tripled from when he was inaugurated.($908 billion to $2.7 trillion) It increased less than double under G.W. ($6 trillion to $11 trillion). Yet Bush is reviled while Reagan is revered. Go figure. How can anyone call either example conservative?
If Obama is a "stupid man," then how do you characterize G.W. Bush?
ReplyDeleteWow. Good point. And how much has it increased in 9 months with Obama?
ReplyDeleteI am not going to speculate as to whether Bush or Obama is smarter. But Bush is not the bumpkin he was made out to be. And Obama clearly isn't the uber-genius peole make him out to be either.
ReplyDeleteDon't have the figures, but you can bet it's big. Still, how can you call either man conservative?
ReplyDeleteDJ @ 6:41
ReplyDeleteThat's probably a fair statement.
To shocked:
ReplyDeleteWe've all know people who can speak well, orators, really---but there is nothing behind the words. What has Obama done that showed wisdom? Or even good planning? And don't throw up Bush as a screen---liberals always do that when they don't have reasonable excuses for the disaster that is going on.
To Barbie:
ReplyDeleteAre you sure we are "misguided in our concern for the poor," maybe we simply read the New Testament and took to heart the words "the least of my brethren."
To Barbie
ReplyDeleteI think he has shown wisdom in international affairs. It will take more time for this to be proven. What is certain, in this smaller world, is that cooperation will be far superior to obstinance.
Ah, but what if cooperation, as opposed to obstinance, is seen as weakness and we have a tragic attack as a result? Better that the terrorist fear us than love us.
ReplyDeleteI would like to take a step back and acknowledge the poster at 6:11...
ReplyDeleteI have felt the same way for years... there is, unfortunately, no one waving the flag rallying the people to calls of "Let's be reasonable..." Once one side is done being in charge, politics seems to go the other direction, until people are fed up with their policies, and then its back were we started... Unfortunately even when the Democrats or Republicans does nominate a true moderate, their candidate's name still appears with either a D or an R after it tethering them to the general views of the party...
I think the key to getting things back on track in America is to find a true moderate with backing to run as an independent, it would not be an easy task, but what worth doing is?
I agree with 8:35 some body needs to step out side the box and do something about our country cause the dems or rep are not doing nothing but blowing a lot of smoke to keep their pockets paded and making sure them and theres arent sleeping out in the cold.dukeblackohio
ReplyDeleteWhy dont they just legalize the stuff?Do they not no how much money and taxes they could make.
ReplyDeleteObama is dum! We need to take back this country from the liberals who are going to tax us all into the ground. Palin 2012!
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame that I can't have my comments posted because I'm for Palin in 2012. If I was for Jesus and buying guns I would be allowed.
ReplyDeleteObama is 'dum'? Seriously? If you are going to call someone else dum...please at least spell it right. DUMB. Otherwise, it makes you look....well...dumb. The irony.
ReplyDeleteI dont care what any body says.Ino its bad here but would any of you want to live any where else on earth?I mean think about it and if you answer yes move there and get out of my country.
ReplyDeleteTo the comment posted on October 21, 2009 10:59 AM.
ReplyDeleteI am for Jesus and I own guns. I've had alot of comments that have not been posted. So, being for Palin, Jesus, and guns have nothing to do with getting your comments posted. To the posting on October 20, 2009 10:10 PM. Do you know how much money the government could make with selling marijuana? Do you think it would stop the illegal selling of it?
To the post at 6:49....
ReplyDeleteI do live else where, and quite enjoy it... I still love my home and America because its just as much "my" country as it is "your" country, my passport will always have an eagle on the front...
I think we should all be looking how things can be done differently and better, to just settle for what we have is to inherently fall behind... If we do not work to make things better now, then what will the future hold?
Here is an interesting article, It seems the whole MSNBC crew met with Obama at the white house.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine anyone thinking these people are "journalist's in any sense on the word.
And people critize Fox news for "bias"?
"Both Fox's Gretchen Carlson and Bret Baier mentioned on-air that Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow paid a visit to the White House this week for an off-the-record chat with the president.
But they weren't the only ones. TVNewser reports that they were other attendees beyond the MSNBC stars: Eugene Robinson, E.J. Dionne, Ron Brownstein, John Dickerson, Frank Rich, Jerry Seib, Maureen Dowd, Bob Herbert, Gloria Borger, and Gwen Ifill."
While Olbermann is a new addition, several of the people on this list -- Dionne, Robinson, Seib, Maddow, Dowd, Rich -- met with Obama shortly before inauguration."