A new commercial supposedly warning viewers of the dangers of smoking contains footage of a man showering and cleaning the hole in his throat. He then turns to the camera and says "nothing will ever be the same again," referring to his life after throat cancer. Last time I checked, it was wrong to use personal tragedy to advance a political cause, especially a personal tragedy brought on by one's own irresponsible behavior. I've never seen anyone enjoy his throat cancer so much. And the attention the liberal media heaped over this guy (who, I'm pretty sure was a mexican) was disgusting. I get your game, liberal media. I'm not supposed to attack this guy just because he has throat cancer. Well, guess what? I'm not buying it. This guy, and all the other people who enjoy their throat cancer so much with their criticism of stuff like smoking, make me sick! And they're getting a free ride from the liberal media who fall all over themselves fawning over "the poor victim." This guy is a harpie, and I'm pretty sure his throat was going to leave him anyway.

The panel, on Friday’s Special Report with Brit Hume on FNC, denounced the New York Times for their Friday article, quickly picked up by other newspapers and published over the objection of the Bush administration and 9/11 commissioners, about how the CIA and Treasury Department are tracking international banking transactions by terrorist operatives.

Columnist Charles Krauthammer contended “there's a reason why we haven't had an attack since 9/11, and unfortunately we've learned about it by these journalistic leaks about all of the secret programs.” He lit into the judgment of the Times: “The idea of having it published out there, in a sense disarming us by letting the bad guys know how we're tracing their wire transfers, I think, is a disgrace.” Krauthammer added: “I think this is the 21st century equivalent of publishing the Enigma program in the Second World War in which we listened in on secret German communications in submarines.” Morton Kondracke suggested the New York Times assumes “we've got more to fear from our own government than we do from terrorist attacks” and regretted how “there are evidently people in the bureaucracy who share that view who are willing to blabber to the New York Times.” As for what motivates the newspaper, the panelists pointed to the wish to win another Pulitzer Prize. (Transcript follows)

There is much speculation about the synchronized flame-out of Connie Chung and Dan Rather. Melanie McFarland of the Seattle PI says: "Different as their career trajectories may have been for a time, Chung and Rather's respective undoing are, in the end, the same. They held on for too long."

That's almost right. They did stick around longer than much of the public was willing to accept. But that wasn't what destroyed them. SB at Media Orchard seems to take great offense at the article and claims that Rather was forced out by a hate campaign and Connie was forced out because she is getting old and "viewers don't like to watch older women read the news -- period." That's way off. Hate campaigns don't destroy people, ask Howard Stern. Katie Couric will be 50 soon and Diane Sawyer is over 60 so you can scratch that misogynistic tripe. Here's what really did in Dan and Connie: bias.

On January 25, 1988, Dan Rather attacked then Vice-President George HW Bush. The country saw the true colors of agenda driven "objective reporters." It didn't hurt Bush, he went on to be President, but it sure didn't help Rather. For a huge segment of society, that moment defines Dan Rather. As McFarland said, Dan held on for too long after that. He seems like a nice guy, and the colloquialisms make him seem like your demented uncle in an almost endearing way. But he became legend for his agenda driven stories, and it wasn't until he shamelessly demanded that obviously MS Word-produced documents were from the 70s that we all said enough is enough. That's it. We can't trust Dan as far as a frog can toss his pockets. Meanwhile, I don't know who doesn't think of Newt Gingrich's mom when they look at Connie Chung. That moment sealed her fate, never again would she be truly trusted with our news.

So let that be a lesson to journalists across the country. Maybe they know they are getting away with something and like-minded peers won't stop them. I'm willing to give journalists the benefit of the doubt that maybe they don't realize they're biased, but that's no excuse. Hopefully journalists, print and broadcast, will learn from Dan and Connie: if you want to be straight news reporters, leave your agenda at home or it will be the end of you... or your newspaper.

The primary goal of the Daily Show is, of course, to entertain, but it's safe to say that Jon Stewart and company also would like to push (or is it pull?) American politics to the left.

A new study, however, indicates that the program may in that sense be at odds with itself. Specifically, it suggests that the mocking, condescending tone of the Daily Show may result in diminished voter turnout among its viewers -- almost all of whom, as you probably assumed, are non-conservatives.

Richard Morin, in today's Washington Post, reports:

Two political scientists [have] found that young people who watch Stewart's faux news program...develop cynical views about politics and politicians that could lead them to just say no to voting.

Even before the evidence on Haditha is in, Jack Murtha was ready to accuse American Marines of 'cold-blooded' killings. But let terrorists plan to kill Americans, and - what do you know? - some are quick to ascribe their acts to everything from poverty to insanity.

Norah O'Donnell was the guest host on this evening's Hardball. Discussing the arrest of seven alleged domestic terrorists charged with plotting to blow up the Sears Tower among other targets, O'Donnell asked her panel of 'Hardball Hotshots': "where is this hatred coming from?"

Mike Barnicle was first to propose a socio/psychological explanation: "Freedom, the freedoms we have here. Liberty, the liberties we have here, the isolation that many people feel from our society. . . Poverty, mental illness is part of it."

ABC's "Good Morning America" fired up the global-warming bandwagon again this morning with a very soft and friendly "exclusive" interview with Al Gore to boost the weekend box office numbers of Gore's slide-show documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."

Substitute host Bill Weir assumed the entire catastrophe is under way, asking: is the impending disaster man-made? Is it irreversible? Do we need "extreme lifestyle change"? How can Gore explain that conservatives still show "lingering skepticism"? In addition to praising Gore for raising an "excellent point," Weir pleaded that he should ponder another presidential campaign: "can the planet be saved without the help of a president?" Weir concluded: "Your passion is evident every time you speak on this."

Ok so whats with these stupid accusations I hear going back and forth and no you wont convince me either side is better than the other so dont, I find both the right and left to be like 2 siblings fighting over candy and Im watching them drop the candy in the dirt: Candy=freedom and democracy.  Just look at yourselves, government and the media you both publish total lies and propaghanda that everyone is sick of, anyone not in your hyped up little brainwashed world knows that you both are selling a load of old chicken poop, there is one thing though, that I think your both right in certain areas of life and politics but you need to work together and stop being so capatilistic off the pain and suffering of the actuall people who do care about this nation and life in freedom, not some co

Rocker Bruce Springsteen says he has every right to speak out on politics, as much as Ann Coulter does, and that the "idiots rambling" on cable talk shows have no more right than him to let their voices be heard.

The singer/songwriter spoke with anchor Soledad O'Brien on CNN's American Morning.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Are you sending a political message with this album?

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: I like that to be an organic part of what I'm doing. I think because I -- I always search those -- in trying to explain the world and the times to myself, I search those elements out and the music that I like. And so it wouldn't -- I mean, Pete Seeger record without politics in it wouldn't feel right.

It is safe to say that many NewsBusters members have been waiting for years to see a White House press secretary put Helen Thomas in her place. Today, Tony Snow did.

As Snow was explaining the administration’s position on the surveillance of terrorist finances to the White House press corps Friday, Helen Thomas was being, well…Helen Thomas.

Snow stopped in the middle of answering a question and said, “Helen, will you stop heckling and let me conduct a press conference?” Helen mumbled something inaudible, and Snow said: “Well, no, I’m making an argument and you’re, you’re pestering the teacher.”

This video courtesy of Crooks and Liars is must-see TV!

Bush supporter, please take down your American flag
In view of what we have seen and heard for the past few years, and especially in the last few months, it is time for any who still support George W. Bush and this Administration to take down American flags. Remove them from your front porch, from the flagpole. Pack away your stars-and-stripes T-shirts, and remove the flag-pins from your lapels.

The display of the American flag is meant for the patriotic, for those who love their country. This president has plunged our beloved nation into unconscionable debt, and compromised its security for the sake of corporations' bottom lines. He has steadfastly looked the other way while American jobs have been irretrievably lost, while citizens go without affordable medical care. He has stolen from the poor and working class by promoting the under-funding of their schools, their hospitals, and the social programs that feed and shelter the most unfortunate among us. Instead, the money has gone into the pockets of the wealthy.

Time and again, he has turned his back on the victims of disaster, and left them to fend for themselves. He has destroyed a way of life that rewarded hard work, that offered opportunity for all. He has diminished our country's standing in the world, and has made a mockery of our laws, our rights, and our Constitution.

A true patriot doesn't ignore the needs of the nation, nor its citizenry, and does not systematically revoke the very freedoms our democracy was founded upon. If you support the Bush regime, what it stands for, and what it has done, you are no patriot.
Support the troops?If you support this president, remove the Support the Troops stickers from your cars, and the symbolic yellow ribbons from your front doors.

Those symbols are meant to represent care and concern for our military, both in battle and upon their return. This president, and his fellow Republican Party members, have placed our troops in harm's way for a lie, and have ignored their safety and well-being at every turn. They have initiated policies that gut veterans' benefits and pensions. They have sent troops into combat without the basic equipment to protect themselves, and ignore the consequences of placing the battle-fatigued, the sick, the psychologically and emotionally damaged on the front lines. They have handed the tax dollars meant to feed, equip and house our forces over to Administration cronies, who devote mere pennies to the needs of our fighting men and women.

If you support those kinds of policies and the people who promote them for their own political and/or financial gain, you do not support the troops. On the contrary, you speed their demise. Pretending to support the very troops you dishonor is not only hypocritical, it is an insult to their sacrifice.
Christian?

If you support this president, remove the cross from around your neck, the rosary beads strung over your rear view mirror, the crucifixes and prayer cards you display in your homes. Those revered signs of faith are reserved for those who honor the principles set forth by a man who taught love, tolerance and understanding.

The present Administration and those who blindly follow it have not only condoned but embraced torture, unlawful imprisonment without hope of a fair hearing, and secret prisons. In addition, they have smuggled human beings to other countries where the most heinous conduct can be indulged.

This president and his minions have made a mockery of the Christian faith, and spit in the face of those who adhere to its tenets. Bush's illegal and immoral war has killed thousands upon thousands of innocent men, women and children, while ignoring laudable principles such as feeding the hungry and caring for the sick. He preys upon the unsuspecting sheep by offering money and influence to their corrupt, money-grubbing pastors in exchange for votes based on hatred, bigotry and intolerance.

If you have transferred your religious faith away from the teachings of a forgiving and merciful God, and placed it instead in a president who promotes violence and torture, you are not a Christian.

Once you have dispensed with displaying the symbols of true patriotism, troop support and Christianity, you are free to flaunt your W stickers, and all of the other pro-Bush, pro-Administration paraphernalia you are so fond of. In fact, I would encourage you to do so.

It's always helpful to know who the real enemies of America are.

>.<br><br><hr><h2 align="center">Bush supporter, please take down your American flag</h2><br>In view of what we have seen and heard for the past few years, and especially in the last few months, it is time for any who still support George W. Bush and this Administration to take down American flags. Remove them from your front porch, from the flagpole. Pack away your stars-and-stripes T-shirts, and remove the flag-pins from your lapels.<br><br>The display of the American flag is meant for the patriotic, for those who love their country. This president has plunged our beloved nation into unconscionable debt, and compromised its security for the sake of corporations' bottom lines. He has steadfastly looked the other way while American jobs have been irretrievably lost, while citizens go without affordable medical care.

Fox News Channel is currently thinking about a new show that is supposed to be a conservative version of the very liberal "Daily Show," seen on Comedy Central.

I've long thought conservatives should take a stab at televised political parody. The last time it was really done was during Rush Limbaugh's short-lived syndicated show which was doomed by niche audiences and unsympathetic programming. In the cable age, though, this type of show really has potential. I was pleased to see FNC has apparently chosen just the person I had in mind for such a show, radio host Laura Ingraham.

TV Newser has more details, noting that the show may never happen since it's only a pilot.

Related: Study says "Daily Show" creates negative perceptions among viewers about politics. The post has an unrelated but interesting item about how Democrats believe the federal government should give more aid to white victims of Hurricane Katrina than black victims. See James Taranto's discussion for more.

The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News continue to ignore the good economic news in the ISM's Regional Reports on Business. The Institute for Supply Management's monthly national survey is one of the most respected and widely-followed economy surveys, covering as it does the expected purchasing and hiring trends, as well as the trailing indicators of price and supplier performance.

In addition to the national survey, the ISM also publishes monthly regional surveys, one of which is based in Denver. For the last two months, the manufacturing survey has been extremely strong. This month, the more violatile non-manufacturing index moved from slightly negative (49.4) to solidly positive at 53.2.

No, the word isn't "fair," although journalists do have a problem with the word. It's "fag," used by Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

Teddy Greenstein writes in the Chicago Tribune:

After hearing Ozzie Guillen ravage Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti before Tuesday night's White Sox game, a few writers pondered their next move.

"There was much discussion in the press box," Daily Southtown columnist Phil Arvia said. "What do we do now?"...

And what was the proper way to handle the quotes? As Arvia noted in his column the next day, Guillen used 14 variations of the f-word, five synonymous for excrement and had a few orders for Mariotti to "kiss my . . . "

Bill O’Reilly interviewed the outspoken Geraldo Rivera on “The O’Reilly Factor” Thursday evening concerning the current goings on in Iraq, and how the media are covering it. During their discussion, Geraldo stated his surprising support for President Bush, while offering a rather strong critique of Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) as well as for all those who want to establish a time certain for American troop withdrawal (video link to follow): 

“The only way we can find an honorable exit from Iraq is to do what the commander in chief is now suggesting and what good people like Hillary Clinton are also suggesting is to stay the course. We have to stay the course.”

He continued on this train of thought later in the interview:

“But I'm telling the American people right now that Bush is right. The commander in chief is right. Woe on to us if we think that we can forget about what's happened. That, I think, is lamentable.”

Geraldo also lashed out at the junior senator from Massachusetts:

Today's starter topic: Besides NewsBusters, what are your favorite blogs? Are there any MSM bloggers you find worth reading? Are there any sane lefty blogs?

Page A-20, Friday's New York Times: "For Diehards, Search for Iraq's WMD Isn't Over."