Even Right Wing Rupert Murdoch and His Wall Street Journal Are Trashing This President

As said in the title, this is great. Even uber Right Wing, ultra conservative Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal is calling this President out for what and who he is now, thank goodness.

WSJ slams Trump for ‘hurting the country’ by ‘debasing’ the presidency: ‘Ugly even for him’

The article:

A Presidential Smear

A bit of the article:

Donald Trump sometimes traffics in conspiracy theories—recall his innuendo in 2016 about Ted Cruz’s father and the JFK assassination—but his latest accusation against MSNBC host Joe Scarborough is ugly even for him. Mr. Trump has been tweeting the suggestion that Mr. Scarborough might have had something to do with the death in 2001 of a young woman who worked in his Florida office when Mr. Scarborough was a GOP Congressman...

...There’s no evidence of foul play, or an affair with the woman, and the local coroner ruled that the woman fainted from an undiagnosed heart condition and died of head trauma. Some on the web are positing a conspiracy because the coroner had left a previous job under a cloud, but the parents and husband of the young woman accepted the coroner’s findings and want the case to stay closed...

...Mr. Trump always hits back at critics, and Mr. Scarborough has called the President mentally ill, among other things. But suggesting that the talk-show host is implicated in the woman’s death isn’t political hardball. It’s a smear. Mr. Trump rightly denounces the lies spread about him in the Steele dossier, yet here he is trafficking in the same sort of trash.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois, had it right when he tweeted on the weekend: “Completely unfounded conspiracy. Just stop. Stop spreading it, stop creating paranoia. It will destroy us.”

We don’t write this with any expectation that Mr. Trump will stop. Perhaps he even thinks this helps him politically, though we can’t imagine how. But Mr. Trump is debasing his office, and he’s hurting the country in doing so.

I love the smell of Right Wing and Republican Party destruction in the morning.

And afternoon. And evening.

Don't you?

Think happy thoughts.  Have a great day.

And vote blue, folks.

Links:

New Polls Show Trump’s Re-election Chances are Diminishing

Anxious About the Virus, Older Voters Grow More Wary of Trump

Finally, Older Voters are Starting to Move Away from Trump

This President and His Administration Don't Even Pretend for Whom They're Working

You have to hand it to this Republican President and his administration.

They don't even remotely  pretend to be working for the average, working Joe and Jane out here in America. They don't make any attempt of any kind to try to appear they're working for the middle- and/or lower- and working classes. I give you this article from none other than Rupert Murdoch's own very Right-Wing, business-friendly Wall Street Journal.

An End to Airline Red Tape—

Or Consumer Protection? 

This is just the beginning of the article:

Airlines want to nix a host of rules that attempt to keep them from mistreating customers. The Transportation Department is considering it.

The DOT has asked airlines to suggest changes or cuts to regulations, part of a broad initiative from President Trump, once an owner of a small airline, to reduce government red tape. It comes as DOT fines against airlines fell by half last year.


The rules matter because DOT is just about the only protection consumers have in U.S. air travel. If the airlines get what they want, the government would weaken the tarmac delay rule, which imposes hefty fines for stranding passengers on planes for long periods, and eliminate a requirement that they show the full price of a ticket when people shop.

Carriers also have asked DOT to scrap the 24-hour grace period for a full refund when buying a ticket—you would pay a change fee even if you realized right away you booked the wrong date or made a mistake in the passenger name. They want to eliminate a rule that requires them to honor tickets sold for “mistake fares,” and they are asking for flexibility from a requirement they provide “prompt” wheelchair service. They argue the term “prompt” is ambiguous and complain that providing wheelchair service at zero charge costs the industry $300 million annually and exceeds benefits.

They also want their own booking systems to be free from the DOT ban on display bias so they don’t have to disclose to consumers they exclude competitors’ flights, and they want to drop requirements to show on-time and cancellation data with flights.

It's insane.

It's obscene.

What little protections we have, that we've been able to gain, as customers and passengers on airlines and these people are working to take them away. They're actually asking the airlines what rules they don't like and what they want to have done away with.

This guy and his henchmen and women are working, fighting for the already-wealthy and corporations, folks, not you and I, not, again, the middle class. 

They just recently handed out huge, deficit-creating tax credits and deductions to and for the, again, already wealthy and corporations. Then they have Betsy DeVos working for the same wealthy people in our schools, against the working schlubs like you and I. And then there's Scott Pruitt at the EPA, eviscerating our clean air and water and soil rules.

Here's further proof, today, from The New York Times:

Administration Imposes Sweeping Limits on Federal Actions Against Companies

Not only are they doing it, they're all but throwing public parties to celebrate it all.

Why anyone but the wealthy votes Republican is beyond me.

Meanwhile, we've seen lots of predictions and projections of just where, exactly, his and the Republicans tax package will take us. They already are.

Trump's America will be saddled with debt – 

like his bankrupted hotels 

God help us, America.

Not that we deserve it.

The Media Documentary More Americans Need to See

These people---Rupert Murdoch, Roger Ailes and everyone at Fox--are scarier than I even gave them and the entire situation credit (or blame) for:



The data I'd seen years before, on George W. Bush and the Republicans stealing the 2000 election as well as the 2004 election showed me what happened. After seeing this, it's even more so. Pitiful.

It's some of the best one hour and seventeen minutes you can spend. If you don't understand Fox viewers and followers as well as people who still support George W. Bush, this might help.

If there's good news, it's that young people aren't watching these ugly, misguided, warped people.

What we need is the Fairness Doctrine so we get pro and con sides of issues. We have to take our airwaves back and like getting the big money out of our elections and government, this will have to come from us, the people.

Links:  Fairness Doctrine

Equal-time rule

Personal attack rule

America's media

Explains a lot

Thinking Fox "News" here and climate change deniers and so many.

Quote of the day (on Romney? or Fox? Beck? O'Reilly? Hannity?)

It's Rush Limbaugh, all over, at least.

Letting the states fix Medicaid?

I saw an article earlier this week--a few days ago--in Rupert Murdoch's business-loving Wall Street Journal saying:

Howard and Sykes: Medicaid Is Broken—Let the States Fix It

Block-granting Medicaid is the best way to deliver better, cost-effective care to the most vulnerable Americans

(Link at bottom)

And I can tell you, without quoting any of it here, that the surest way to kill Medicaid would be for the Federal Government to take the money and disperse it to the states individually.

This whole thing that keeps coming back again and again, that of the government collecting monies for different things and that the best thing to happen for any program is for the states to distribute the funds is a Right Wing, conservative, mostly Republican idea that is sheer tripe.

Hasn't anyone heard of "divide and conquer"?

Are we seriously going to fall for this?

On these issues of spending, let alone addressing and solving our problems, it seems obvious, clear and necessary that we need to stay and work together, all of us, as Americans, instead of pulling ourselves apart with our differences.

For Medicaid, Medicare, health care and all our problems as a nation and people, there is strength in our being and working together. Taking apart this or any other program only weakens it--and us.

As Benjamin Franklin so aptly, wisely and familiarly said, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

And it is certainly applicable here.

Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443982904578046161332775362.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Great question

“Why is it that if you take advantage of a tax break, you’re a smart businessman, but if you take advantage of something---he was referencing food stamps---you need to not be hungry, you’re a moocher?”

--Jon Stewart, last evening, in his mock debate against Bill O'Reilly

Links: http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/10/06/jon-stewart-bill-oreilly-rumble-top-lines/

http://news.yahoo.com/oreilly-stewart-tangle-mock-debate-014019527.html

Open letter to Princess Kate

Dear Princess Kate,

Excuse me.

You're a freaking Princess of the British Royal family.

Hello?

That and you're young and beautiful and wealthy and, don't forget, have a beautiful body, let's not forget or ignore.

Do you not know that virtually ANY man wants to see your breasts, sadly, but that because you're young and beautiful and rich and yes, finally, that you're BRITISH ROYALTY, everyone wants to see you naked, if possible?

Sure, it's stupid but come on, the human being is far too puerile and there are a great deal of voyeurs out there in the world, down through history.

So if you go topless on a yacht and it's remotely close to a public space, do you not think some idiot of some kind is going to take a zoom lens and try to get a picture--or some pictures--of you? They'll try to do that, period, just for the heck of it but here's the topper--it also pays a great deal, too, to those low-class, scummy rag tabloids.

What part of any of this do you not get?

And while we're at it, please ask the rest of the Royal Family the same thing, would you, please?

Oh, and if you and the Royals want a rather "moral leg to stand on", so to speak, maybe you and the family should stop taking national, public money from the nation since you're, oh, I don't know, ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST FAMILIES ON THE PLANET? If you don't want people taking pictures of you in your private time, stop taking this public money. I know then, if you and they did, then I know I'd back your claim of a right to privacy. Until that time, however, I think the citizens of England rather own you, since they already buy and pay for you. This money could go to help the lower- and middle-classes of your country, instead.

So now the Royal family files suit against the tabloids. Wow. Apparently they have no better use of their time and money but to file suit against tabloids across Europe that are doing exactly what they've always done, as though it's a surprise somehow.

Y'all can do better than this. Go help some people instead.

Most sincerely,

Kevin Evans
Kansas City, Missouri

Links: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/09/14/royal-family-considers-legal-action-after-magazine-publishes-topless-pictures/

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/15/us-britain-royals-kate-italy-idUSBRE88E0AU20120915

Now that's funny

Warning: One expletive--



And thank you, ladies.

Happy birthday, Julia Child

Born 100 years ago today.

Could we stop imitating Michael Jackson now?

What is it with repeating Michael Jackson's moves that keeps getting done over and over? HE was unique. HE was creative. He came up with all these things. Then people started doing the same things and I guess the thought was "See? I can do it, too." Now, people are STILL repeating his same moves. Has it morphed into nostalgia now? I don't get it. That must be it. I think we will be seeing this until the end of time. Granted, it's good music and always will be but THE SAME DANCE MOVES AS HIM--AND THE SAME CLOTHES? Forever? Yikes.

So many really bleak predictions

I have friends I keep in contact with, one way or another, through email or on Facebook (yes, that) and frequently they will make the point that we're on the verge of World War III or some such cataclysm. I tell you, it's frustrating. It's really dark, really bleak. News out today, yet again, seems to point that way for them, too, I must admit, in this form: U.S. Fifth Fleet says won't allow Hormuz disruption And today's warning is our repsonse to this: Iranian Official Threatens Military Drill Sealing Off the Strait of Hormuz The list goes on and on for these people of how we're all being set up for one more war, this one with Iran. Some say it will be WWIII. Others say it will be the end of the world. It is tiresome. And nihilistic. Can we not have hope any more? Can we not hope the right things will be done and that intelligence will prevail? Is that too much to ask? Sure, the world economies have gone to heck and there are major realignments all across the planet but if anyone knows anything about human history, it has happened before. Imagine life in 1917 Russia. Granted, now humankind has nuclear weapons capable of wiping life off the planet but can we not hope that cooler, calmer and more intelligent heads will prevail? I know I do. I refuse to be all "pollyanna" about the world but that doesn't mean I can't have hope. Sue me. Links: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/12/13/iranian-official-threatens-military-drill-sealing-off-strait-hormuz/; http://news.yahoo.com/iran-navy-chief-says-shutting-off-gulf-very-092339883.html;_ylt=AlX783MEMF0gglA.2MT8vwWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTQ1ajE1M2NtBG1pdANTZWN0aW9uTGlzdCBGUCBXb3JsZARwa2cDYjBkYjY3ZmEtZTcwZS0zNWQ1LWE0ZmMtNWE5OTIyYTU1OGRkBHBvcwMzBHNlYwNNZWRpYVNlY3Rpb25MaXN0BHZlcgM1YjZhMmRlMC0zMTc3LTExZTEtOTZjZi1mNGNlYTExYmMwYzI-;_ylg=X3oDMTFvdnRqYzJoBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3

No, there's no racism about this president...or at Fox "News"...or in the Right Wing

And it doesn't inform their politics, either, no. Right.

Fox has an "uh-oh" moment instead of an "ah-ha!"

Have a great weekend, y'all. I know I am.

The lazy, confused, misinformed, ignorant United States citizen

I knew Washington and George W. Bush's White House "played" us all--manipulated the country into going into war--attacking, unilaterally--Iraq. What I didn't know was how badly we were all played when Iran released the hostages so coincidentally for Ronald Reagan and the Republican Party on the day Reagan was sworn into office, as this shows. What I also didn't realize was how even more heavily than I knew, Florida Governor Jeb Bush and the entire Florida Republican Party played the nation during the 2000 election, taking votes from minorities--mostly African-Americans--in order make absolutely certain brother George W. was put into the White House. And more. Lots more. Then there's the Supreme Court decision at the same time. Where's the handgun? (There are 11 parts of the YouTube videos, total. The entire, original video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_lYGyIaK80&feature=related. It lasts a total of 3 hours. It's some of the best time you will spend all day. Heck, all week. No, all month and year and it's for you and your own benefit, no one else's.)

Fun with Fox "News"

Or Faux News, whichever you prefer.

Downturn of the tabloid, at least

All of a sudden, the people who actually wrote the crap for the News of the World tabloid are coming out and 'fessing up on the stuff they wrote and the kind of nonsense they tried to write--and what they had to put up with. It's a story on Yahoo! News today: With Brooks arrested, tabloid insiders open up. LONDON (AP) — With their former boss under arrest, tabloid reporters are beginning to reveal secrets of what it was like to work in Rebekah Brooks' newsrooms. Disguises, bullying, lies dropped into copy — all were part of the pressure-cooker atmosphere that prevailed, according to former journalists who spoke to The Associated Press. Michael Taggart, who worked at The Sun in 2003, said the paper under Brooks was marked by "ruthlessness and misogyny." "The reporters who were prepared to subject themselves and others to the most ridicule were the ones earmarked for success," said Taggart, who now works as a consultant for London-based MRM. Insiders say the whatever-it-takes mantra was common across the tabloid world. But the pressure at News International — publisher of the Sun and the News of the World, the now defunct paper at the center of the phone hacking scandal — was particularly intense. Taggart described routinely participating in overnight stakeouts while at the Sun, something he said was rare at other papers he had worked for. He said other tabloids were just as hungry for scandal and celebrity, but they tended to rely on "great contacts, rather than covert operations." At Rupert Murdoch's tabloids, refusing to play ball meant being pushed to the sidelines. Attitudes toward women — never thought of as particularly enlightened at The Sun, a paper still famous for its topless page 3 models — did not improve under Brooks, Taggart said. "We were regularly encouraged to refer to women with misogynistic names like 'tarts,' 'slappers' or 'hookers' in our copy if there was conceivably any question mark over their sexual proclivities," he said. "We were expected to childishly objectify women. So blonde-haired women were described as 'beauties' and generously chested women 'looked swell', whether they'd wanted the attention or not." Faking facts was also part of tabloid life under Brooks, reporters said. A third News of The World reporter, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because he too is still working in the media industry, said some editors at the News of the World deliberately inserted bogus details to sensationalize copy. At least for Britain, this means one less skanky newspaper. Over here in the States, could it mean--hopefully--that one day, The National Enquirer will have to close it's doors, too? One can only hope. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/brooks-arrested-tabloid-insiders-open-104104938.html

On Rupert Murdoch today

 

It seems the "big thing" in the news today about Rupert Murdoch and his News Corp. scandal in England is that some guy tried to hit him in the face with shave cream. That, ladies and gentlemen, is not the important part of this story today at all. At all. Far more important is that first, he said he bears no responsibility whatever for the fact that people in his company bribed police officers, at least, to get stories. Second, he immediately followed that with "cover" for his underlings--his sons and Rebekah Brooks, his Chief Executive at News of the World--by saying they weren't responsible, either. It must be nice to run a multi-billion dollar organization, get paid huge money and not be responsible, all at the same time. I wish I had that job. Here's a beauty--it's a quote by Mr. Murdoch this morning from the testimony: ""News of the World is 1% of company and we are a proud and great and ethical distinguished people," whereupon, to make his point, he also slammed the desk. The thing is, is there anyone who is going to believe anything Rupert Murdoch says? Finally, if you check the last link here, below, you'll see the "tabloid hacking scandal" goes back to at least last Fall, last September, when it was discovered NOTW was hacking the Royal's phone messages. It makes it all the more difficult to believe Mr. Murdoch wouldn't have been paying attention to his own property. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/man-rushes-rupert-murdoch-hearing-160244558.html; http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/wall-street-journal-editorial-independence-murdoch-144244300.html; http://www.businessinsider.com/murdoch-testifies-live-coverage-of-the-parliamentary-phone-hacking-hearing-2011-7; http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/14/news-of-the-world-makes-headlines-of-its-own/; http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/magazine/05hacking-t.html

As newspapers fail, the "next wave"

As McClatchy Newspapers and The Kansas City Star seems to be stumbling to the nearly inevitable collapse, the future and "next wave" in media and reporting, it seems Steve Jobs has made a "deal with the devil" with Rupert Murdoch just now:

Steve Jobs to join Murdoch on stage to unveil iPad paper

Rupert Murdoch will unveil News Corp.'s much-anticipated iPad newspaper onstage this month with Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, The Cutline has learned.

The two media moguls will appear together at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, according to a source familiar with preparations for the event. The launch date is expected to be Jan. 19, but that may change.

Known as The Daily, Murdoch's iPad publication has been the talk of the media world over the past couple months, and the News Corp. chief has even dubbed it his"No. 1 most exciting project." The hush-hush project has been taking shape at the company's Manhattan headquarters, but it will also have staffers in Los Angeles.

The big question now, I think, once this takes effect and once The Kansas City Star fails, as it apparently is going to, as has been described by local writers on internet blogs, will local reporting and online reporting be able to give us the kind of local reporting on government we need?

I'm afraid I don't feel good about this.  I don't see good developments in this.

I think people will be very divided in what we read so we won't have any shared experience or shared information source, so we have something to refer to as we interact with one another in our public discourse, interactions and, yes, even voting.

I believe people will only read--if they read at all--whatever they already believe, things that support the views they already hold and not be exposed to alternative viewpoints.  

Who will keep our local representatives and government accountable?

It's not a new idea, certainly, but it's a concern, for sure.

I hope we can be wise citizens.  Wise, open-minded and truly informed.

I doubt it but I hope it.

Links:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thecutline/20110110/ts_yblog_thecutline/steve-jobs-to-join-murdoch-to-unveil-ipad-paper
http://www.bottomlinecom.com/kcnews/starlayoffsonhorizon.html
http://jimmycsays.com/