The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘They Just Want the Money’

Posted on | April 23, 2012 | 18 Comments

Walter Russell Mead finds amusement in New York Times employees — members of the Writers Guild union — whining about a proposal to substitute 401(k)s for their current bloated pension plan:

Nobody in the video talks about the changes in the news business that threatens to drive the Times into a deep dive. Nobody talks about the prospect of future significant staff cuts if costs can’t be contained. None of them discuss the incongruity between their own naive sense of entitlement and what is going on in the cities, companies and countries they cover.
They just want the money.
Some writers allude to the prospect of leaving the paper if the pension change goes through, but a quick check of the newspaper business suggests they don’t have all that many options. Certainly with the exception of a handful of superstars the New York Times would have less trouble replacing its current staff than the current staff would have in replacing their jobs. And if those new jobs are in journalism, good luck finding a company with a generous defined benefit pension plan.

Indeed. Perhaps the NYT’s grumbling newsroom proletariat should read about working conditions for young bloggers at the Washington Post.

The days of easy money and “banker’s hours” in the news business are definitely over, and the Writers Guild mentality is part of the problem, not part of the solution. I’m reminded of a line from Ghostbusters, after they’ve lost their university research gigs:

Personally, I liked the university. They gave us money and facilities. We didn’t have to produce anything. You’ve never been out of college! You don’t know what it’s like out there! I’ve worked in the private sector. They expect results.

Too many people in the upper echelons of the news industry never had a reason to think about the bottom line. The first newspaper I ever worked for — a tiny weekly in Austell, Georgia — went out of business five months after I started there. There was no warning; I went out to cover a high-school football game on Friday night and on Saturday morning got a phone call telling me to come pick up my final paycheck.

My next job was selling menswear in a department store.

That experience in 1986 was an early and unpleasant introduction to the economic reality of the news business, a valuable lesson that might have something to do with whatever success I’ve subsequently had. Many citizen-journalists have a much better understanding of economic reality than do the members of the Writers Guild.

Da Tech Guy has some interesting suggestions about the intersection of Old School journalism and New Media. He knows what a hard dollar it can be — please don’t forget to hit his tip jar.

Category: Da Tech Guy, Journalism, New York Times, Unions

‘Civil Rights’ = Death Threats

Posted on | April 23, 2012 | 41 Comments

Hey, remember when liberals were anti-lynching?

George Zimmerman released on bond
in Trayvon Martin killing
— Los Angeles Times

Twitter lynch mob:
George Zimmerman is out on bail?
Let’s kill him!
— Twitchy

If you’re old enough to remember when liberals were opposed to racism — and in favor of grammar and spelling — well, howdy, old-timer!

Category: Crime, Florida, Racism, Twitchy

Governor Asterisk Update: Republican Who Endorsed Romney Trashes GOP

Posted on | April 23, 2012 | 32 Comments

WITH HIS CONSTITUENTS: Jon Huntsman was surrounded by reporters
after Republican presidential debate in Spartanburg, S.C., Nov. 12, 2012

“Jon Huntsman quit the 2012 presidential campaign just as he ran it all along: Sowing confusion with contradictory messages. …
“Students of American political history who examine the peculiar course of Huntsman’s campaign will undoubtedly scratch their heads and ask themselves, ‘What the f–k was that all about?‘”
— Robert Stacy McCain, “A Fitting Finale to the Huntsman Flop,” Monday, Jan. 16, 2012

Let’s begin by noting that Jon Huntsman’s so-called “presidential campaign” burned through $7 million and finished $5.5 million in debt, having been “loaned” millions by his wealthy father.

What did $7 million buy him? Seventh place in Iowa (739 votes, 0.6%) and third place in New Hampshire (41,495 votes, 16.9%), the latter result in an open primary where exit polls showed Huntsman “handily won groups of voters satisfied with the Obama administration and opposed to the Tea Party,” as the New York Times reported. “Similarly, he won self-described Democrats by a nearly 20-point margin over Ron Paul.”

Keep that in mind as you read this report from Buzzfeed’s Zeke Miller:

Former Republican candidate Jon Huntsman took a battle axe to his own party, comparing it to China’s Communist Party and criticizing it’s standard bearer in a wide-ranging interview at the 92nd Street Y Sunday night.
Recounting his first experience on the presidential debate stage in Iowa last August, Huntsman says he was struck by the question “Is this the best we could do?”
Huntsman, the former Utah governor and once President Barack Obama’s Ambassador to China, expressed disappointment that the Republican Party disinvited him from a Florida fundraiser in March after he publicly called for a third party. . . .
“So I had to say I believe in science — and people on stage look at you quizzically as though you’re was an oddball,” Huntsman said, explaining why he was “toast” in Iowa. . . .
On foreign policy, Huntsman questioned his former Republican opponents’ hard-line positions on China. “I don’t know what world these people are living in,” he said, not naming Mitt Romney by name.

Dude. I was there at the press conference in Myrtle Beach, S.C., when Huntsman quit and endorsed Romney. What was the New York Times headline on the story about that press conference?

Huntsman Leaves Race
With Plea for Party Unity

That was Monday, Jan. 16, just six days after he called his third-place finish in New Hampshire a “ticket to ride” and barely five months after the Aug. 11 Fox News debate in Ames, Iowa, where I first dubbed him “Governor Asterisk.” From the outset, his candidacy lacked any plausible rationale. One might call Jon Huntsman a “useful idiot,” but this would immediately prompt the question, “What actual use did he serve?” He never had any “path to the nomination,” and his faux campaign existed only to garner glowing coverage from the liberal media, to hog up time in televised debates, and to enrich the ruthless campaign consultants who somehow managed to convince him he had a chance.

So here we are in April, three months after he endorsed Romney and pleaded for “party unity,” and Chumpsman is publicly trashing the GOP? Once more we must ask: “What the f–k was that all about?”

(Via Memeorandum.)

UPDATE: When the former sweetheart of the liberal media wants to claim his remarks have been taken out of context, he can always get a wet kiss from his MSNBC-BFFs at “Morning Joe”:

Suggestion for Mitt: Promise to pay off Huntsman’s campaign debt, with payment due Nov. 7, on condition that he disappear until then. America will thank you for keeping this douchebag off TV.

 

 

PREVIOUSLY:


Category: Election 2012, Jon Huntsman, Mitt Romney

LIVE AT FIVE – 04.23.12

Posted on | April 23, 2012 | 7 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
National Front Voters To Be The Deciding Factor In France’s Presidential Race

Marine Le Pen, National Front candidate for President

Euroskeptic, nationalist party draws surprising 18% of first-round votes; Sarkozy and Hollande head for second round

Congresswomen: Colombian Whore Scandal Wouldn’t Have Happened If There Were More Female Secret Service Agents
How utterly predictable.

US Pledges Ten Years Of Aid To Afghanistan
Text not released; any bets on whether some of that aid arrives as satchels of small unmarked bills?



POLITICS
Arizona Immigration Law Faces Supreme Court Test

SB1070's author, former State Senator Russell Pearce

State agrees immigration is a Federal responsibility, and they’re just acting in the absence of Congressional action

WV’s Senator Manchin On The Fence About Voting For Obama

Former Presidential Candidate John Edwards Faces Trial

Obama Gaining Ground In Swing States As Economy Improves?

Half The Class Of 2012 Is Jobless Or Underemployed

Axelrod Claims Scandals Not “Emblematic” Of Obama

New Vote Fraud Laws Could Hurt Obama

Ron Paul Rallies Philadelphia Supporters



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Prices Down In Asia Ahead Of Key US, PRC Data: NYMEX $103.73, Brent $118.68
Walmart Bribery Probe Exposes Retailer To Fines
PRC Manufacturing Continues To Contract
Gasoline Futures Point To Pump Relief
After YPF Nationalization, Is Argentina The New Venezuela?
E.F. Hutton Breaks Silence
Intel-Powered Smartphone Goes On Sale
Asus Ships Quad-Core Transformer Tablet For $379
Philips Introduces $60 LED Bulb
A Quixotic Quest To Mine Asteroids
Contradicting Earlier Reports, Flashback Malware Infections Still High
iPhone 5 Rumor Roundup
Diablo III Beta Stress Test Stresses Gamers, Tests Patience



SPORTS
“Metta World Peace” Ejected For Elbow Strike To Harden’s Head

The player formerly known as Ron Artest

ESPN roundtable on the hit and the fallout (video)

Stoll’s OT Goal Eliminates Canucks, Kings Advance

Giroux, Flyers Finish Off Pens With 5-1 Blowout

Rangers On The Brink Against Senators

Caps Head Back To Boston For Game 7

LeBron James Lifts Heat To 97-88 Win Over Rockets In Home Finale

Hamlin Gets By Truex Late For STP 400 Win

Nuggets Rout Magic, 101-74

BoSox, Bobby V Unraveling With 4-10 Start

Astros Avoid Sweep, Wandy Gets The Win Against Dodgers In 12-0 Shutout Rout



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Neil Diamond Marries Katie McNeil

Neil Diamond and his new bride

Superstar singer gets hitched to manager

Chelsea Still Kvetching About Angie

Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds Nesting In Bedford

Robin Gibb Wakes From Coma

LeAnn Rimes Shows Off Her Rock

Lea Michele v. Adele

“Think Like A Man” Knocks “Hunger Games” Out Of Top Spot, Easily Beats Zac Efron’s Treacly Tale

Matthew Perry Comedy “Go On” Gets Series Order From NBC

Taylor Swift’s In Tune With Joni Mitchell Role

Is Rihanna Switching Teams?

“I Always Told Her I Would Take Her For A Ride”



FOREIGNERS
Single Women Bussed Into Rural Spanish Town To Ease Wife Shortage
Newly Elected Burma Lawmakers Balk At Wording Of Oath
Renewed Fighting On Sudan Border
PRC Offers Praise, Friendship For Norks
Egypt Cancels Natural Gas Deal With Israel
Aussie PM Under Attack For Appointing Slipper
Dutch Face Elections After Wilders’ Freedom Party Leaves Government Over Budget Measures
PRC, Russia Hold Joint Naval Exercises In Yellow Sea
Blood Still Flowing In Syria Despite UN Presence
Presidential Candidate Moussa Says Egypt Is In Crisis



BLOGS & STUFF
Zilla Of The Resistance: Medical Freedom, Lyme Disease, And Obamacare
Washington Times: Grassley Asks – Were White House Staff Involved In Colombian Scandal?
iOwnTheWorld.com: Tea Party Freshmen Made Impact, Life Miserable For Supposed Conservatives Like Boehner
Via Meadia: Clueless Blue Deer Meet Onrushing Truck At The NYT
Conservatives4Palin: GOP Insiders Have A Favorite For Veep – Rob Portman
Chicago Boyz: The Value Of College
John Fund: Daughter Of Haitian Immigrants Is GOP Nominee For Utah Congressional Seat
Weasel Zippers: Axeldouche Claims Obama “Apoplectic” Over GSA Scandal
Ed Driscoll: Earth Day 2012, The Day The Tide Turned
Don Surber: Olbermann Now Hates Dog Issue
Power Line: Obama, Eater Of Dogs Joke Of The Day
Gateway Pundit: The Nuge Exercises His First Amendment Rights, Fort Knox Soldiers Punished
JustOneMinute: CYA, Or Manning The Lifeboats?
Political Ticker: Lieberman Staying Out Of 2012 Election
Jonah Goldberg: Thomas Friedman Is On Autopilot

Category: Live at Five

Marion Barry’s Re-Election Platform Strong After All These Years

Posted on | April 22, 2012 | 8 Comments

by Smitty

Breitbart points to Marion Barry’s interview with Reason:

This blog would like to point out that Marion Barry’s likability, noted in the interview, stems from only the finest political platform planks (click to embiggen):

Reference:
Category: Democrats

Rule 5 Sunday: Master Of Puppets

Posted on | April 22, 2012 | 18 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


I am horrified by the fact that I somehow managed to forget Rule 5 Sunday last week; apparently I was overcome by tax form fumes and passed out after escaping from the tax mines last Sunday. On the upside, we now have twice the number of links!


Laughing Conservative, a bit giddy over the surge in traffic, gets a tad cheeky. At The POH Diaries, you must choose plain but classy, or utterly classless (but hot) lesbian pundit. Choose wisely! Also, Bar Rafaeli! Randy’s Roundtable had Paulina Stanek, Stephanie Ly, and Lily Aldridge for his midweek breaks this past fortnight. The eye of Polyphemus went with Kelly Brook, while the Reaganite Republican went with Miss Philippines 2011 and also Miss Israel 2011.
First Street Journal turns the spotlight on some fashionistas, and Three Beers Later has a metal music extravaganza. Postaldog reappears with some Kristy Swanson and girls behaving badly. A double helping of Dustbury links gives us Poonam Pandey, Janice Vidal, Liz Phair, and a long-awaited Zooeypalooza! Zion’s Trumpet also has some pretty faces and more of the same in red for your viewing pleasure. Fishersville Mike reminds us that it’s hockey night in Nashville, starring Carrie Underwood.


El Opinador Compulsivo returned last week with Xenia Tchoumitcheva, Easter greetings from Kate Upton, the proposed ban on the missionary position in Ukraine, Sara Jean Underwood, No shirt/no service, and Bar Rafaeli playing tennis in her undies.


A View From The Beach has some Ashley Judd huffery-puffery, Lauren Young cleaning up after tree sex, niceness in the genes, good news from the London Olympics, science vindicating Edgar Rice Burroughs, Babes n’ donuts, and some Easter greetings Vargas-style. The second helping includes Liv Tyler, balloon swallowing, Bar Rafaeli getting the “special” pat-down, the Katie Perry Marine video with bonus pix, good news for lushes, and women causing crashes.


Soylent Green (Week The First) has Monday Motivationer Sam, Tuesday Titillation, Humpday Hawtness, alternative energy, Corset Friday 360, Friday fantabulism, and Saturday Shannon.


At the Camp of the Saints, there was Monica Bellucci, the Rule 5 News, Holly Peers, Rosamund Pike. Rule 5 News, and Gabriella Grecco.


Proof Positive offers Berenice Marlowe and Brittny Gastineau; vintage babes Madeline Smith and Virna Lisi, and in the Sex in Advertising department: Take Control. also, Colombian hooker pics and Victoria’s Secret Service.


Soylent Green Week 2 (The Embiggening) begins with Monday Motivationer Candice, continues with Tuesday Titillation from Jennifer, the Humpday Hawtness of Kayla, Googlers being slow on the uptake, Fifth Fleet’s Soylent Maneuvers, a Friday Corset Cavalcade, and the overnight awesome Midnight Ramble edition.


We end this Rule 5 Sunday as we end all our Rule 5 Sundays, with the DaleyBabes from the DaleyGator. This week, it’s Nina Dobrev, Katerina Graham with a Rule 5 roundup, Ryo Shinohara, Helena Mattsson, Myu Hatsume, Jennifer Love Hewitt. and Kazaki Asou.


Thanks to everyone for their linkagery! Please have your links for next week’s Rule 5 Sunday in by April 28; I promise to make use of them in a more timely fashion next week!

Category: Rule 5

Want America To Fail? Heed Van Jones

Posted on | April 22, 2012 | 14 Comments

by Smitty

An excellent video from Free Market America (a project of Americans for Limited Government). This is of Bill Whittle caliber:About the only turn left un-stoned here is the point that the Federal Reserve has been the source of $ to support the entire politics of failure.

Moving from reality to the surreal, Hot Air points to a Van Jones interview over at The WeedMoss Gatherer, where he waxeth eloquent in the mellifluous tones of Winston Smith:

So how is Rebuild the Dream working towards that goal?

Two ways. The financial sector is sucking the money from all of our pockets, especially when it comes to underwater mortgages and student loans. The way you used to get the American Dream was to go to college and you got a house. Today, those same ambitions are dragging people out of the middle class and into poverty. So the biggest way we can help working class and middle class people in the near term is by one, getting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to reduce the principle on these underwater mortgages and, two, preventing the interest rates from the most important student loans from doubling on July 1.

A few points:

  1. The Constitution was written to tackle multi-state and international challenges.
  2. Houses occur in one state.
  3. Education occurs in one head.
  4. Neither housing nor education are federal tasks.
  5. Now that the federal government has over-reached for decades, and created a vast hairball of debt, the approach that would make sense would be to revert all of this idiocy to the states to figure out.

No, Van, you Orwellian Commie, we’re not smoking your dope. None of your ideas promote liberty. Everything you have to say is about crushing free people and absorbing them into your Borg.

Consider this a War on Morons post (via Vodka Pundit).

The Lonely Conservative also has the Failure video.

Category: Doomed Beyond All Hope of Redemption, Education, Liberals, Weimar America

Fast and Furious Cover-Up: Who Told DOJ Employee Katie Dixon to Send Reporters Media Matters Story?

Posted on | April 22, 2012 | 13 Comments

C.J. Ciaramella at the Free Beacon reports:

The Department of Justice is using the liberal “watchdog” group Media Matters for America to deflect questions about the Fast and Furious scandal, including those regarding a gun that might have been used in the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent.
A new book raises questions as to whether the FBI hid the existence of a weapon recovered at the scene of murdered U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. Conservative commentator and author Katie Pavlich lays out evidence she says points to a FBI cover-up to protect a confidential informant in her recently released book, Fast and Furious: Barack Obama’s Bloodiest Scandal and Its Shameless Cover-up.
In response to an inquiry from the Free Beacon, a Justice Department spokeswoman said in an email that she “was told to direct your questions to the FBI, and also to provide you with a link to this story: http://mediamatters.org/research/201204190011”
The link was to a story at the George Soros-funded Media Matters for America supposedly refuting many of Pavlich’s claims. Media Matters is a partisan organization whose founder, David Brock, is also running a pro-Obama super PAC.

The Justice employee who sent that message to Ciaramella was Katie Dixon, who works in DOJ’s Office of Public Affairs (DOJ-OPA). Notice that she says she “was told” to send reporters that Media Matters link. The question now: Who told her to do so?

And I’ll bet Rep. Darrell Issa will want to find out, too.

(Via Memeorandum, with more commentary at Breitbart, The Jawa Report, RedState and American Power.)

 

Category: Corruption, Scandal
« go back — keep looking »

    About

    This is an area on your website where you can add text. This will serve as an informative location on your website, where you can talk about your site.

    Subscribe to our feed

    Search

    Admin