Hello everybody. This is my first topic I posted on the NewsBusters Forums. I am a big Elton John fan, though I was born in 1988. Mom introduced me to Elton John (she completely idolized him in the '70's), and I have been gradually buying his albums ever since. Though he said he would "ban religion completely" last winter, I don't care about that and I remain a firm believer in Catholicism (though I haven't been baptized yet), and he inspired me to think about taking up piano. Well, first things first. Now here is, in my book, the ten best Elton John Songs:

1. Bennie and the Jets

2. The Ballad of Danny Bailey

3. I've Seen the Saucers

4. Take Me To The Pilot

5. I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That

6. I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues

7. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

8. Nikita

9. Bad Side of the Moon

10. Levon

The news media have hardly been admirers of Richard Nixon, but ABC News found new respect Tuesday for Nixon's assessments now that old tapes show how during Watergate he ridiculed furure GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson as “dumb as hell.” On the day of Thompson's debut at a GOP residential debate, both Good Morning America and World News featured stories from Brian Ross, who in the World News version boasted that “we spent weeks going through the hours of Nixon Oval Office tapes.” But though Ross reported nothing not posted two months ago on ABCNews.com, he claimed to have discovered “a tantalizing inside look at how Thompson was regarded by the President and his inner circle.” Reminding viewers that Thompson was the Republican counsel on the Senate committee investigating Watergate, Ross reported that “when Nixon's aides told him of Thompson's appointment, the President was less than impressed.” ABC then played audio from May 14, 1973 of Nixon denigrating Thompson: “He's dumb as hell.”

Cuing up a bite of Nixon asking, “He isn't very smart, is he?”, Ross relayed: “By June 1973, Thompson was still being described in the Oval Office as not very smart, but at least beginning to play ball with the White House behind the scenes.” For expert analysis of Thompson's complicity with Nixon, Ross turned to “author” John Dean who maintained Thompson saw it as “his duty...not necessarily to find the truth, but to find out what would be best for Richard Nixon.” Of course, viewers of MSNBC's Countdown know Dean as one of Keith Olbermann's favorite guests and author of such books as Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush and Conservatives Without Conscience.

It was supposed to be about business and economic issues – at least that’s the way CNBC billed it.

“[W]ell, we’re coming to you from the Ford Performing Arts Center,” co-moderator Maria Bartiromo said during the October 9 CNBC “Closing Bell.” “And there’s a lot of buzz and excitement around. We're just about an hour away from the debate and of course, this is the first national presidential debate focused only on economic issues. We'll be talking taxes, trade, housing, broad economy, foreign relations, protectionism.”

But it didn’t end up that way. While there were four questioners, co-moderator Chris Matthews was the most obvious in asking questions that had little to do with the economy. Out of his 49 questions, 28 were largely non-economic.

CNN “American Morning” co-anchor John Roberts should have familiarized himself with Southwest Airlines “Contract of Carriage” before he assailed that airline for playing the role of fashion police.

Florida resident Joe Winiecki was told by airline employees to turn his lewd shirt inside out, change shirts or get off an October 7 flight according to The Associated Press. The “sexually suggestive” shirt read certified “Master Baiter.” But Roberts didn’t see it that way.

“A passenger wearing a T-shirt with a somewhat off-color joke on it about his fishing prowess was told that he couldn't board the flight while wearing it.” Roberts said on the October 9 “American Morning.” The CNN co-host used the story to promote a CNN online poll that asked if airlines should play the role of “fashion police.”

Via Breitbart (with video).

At 3:35pm ET on today's CNN Newsroom (10/9/07), the hosts were reading viewer e-mails. Here's what they read from a "Chuck" in Las Vegas, Nevada (emphasis mine):

After all these years of sex and money scandals, to say nothing of the born-again idiot in the White House, one might reasonably expect that by now the Christians would have lost some of their smug superiority over the rest of us. Dear Jesus, save us from your followers!

A couple moments after the letter was read, both hosts appeared to momentarily show slight mischievous grins.

Good ... grief.

Chris Matthews couldn't help himself during the GOP debate in Michigan, as he returned to his "No blood for oil," rant, when he essentially asked Republican candidates if they thought the U.S. would have invaded Iraq if it didn't need the oil. On CNBC's live coverage of Tuesday's Republican debate the "Hardball" host asked Ron Paul the following:

"Congressman Paul would you, would we have gone to war in Iraq if we weren't so dependent on Middle East oil?"

Matthews then repeated that same question to Sam Brownback:

"Do you believe that, Senator Brownback, that we would've gone to war in Iraq if we weren't so dependent on Middle East oil?"

On Tuesday’s CBS "Early Show," host Hannah Storm exclaimed that Fred Thompson "has received a lot of criticism...for being underwhelming so far out on the campaign trail." This just hours before Thompson’s participation in his first GOP debate.

The segment began with a report by Nancy Cordes who observed that Thompson’s "...been trying to keep expectations low."Storm then invited on guests Arianna Huffington and Michael Smerconish for political analysis, both of whom bashed Thompson. Smerconish began the attack:

Well, unfortunately, I think the delivery probably matters over substance in this case because he is getting a reputation on the stump so far as being a bit of a dolt. Somebody needs to light a fire under his fanny.

Huffington brought her ususal class to the argument:

And then there are all these stumbles, you know, on the issues too. It wasn't just a matter of being underwhelming in terms of passion and energy...You know, he didn't know much about the Everglades in Florida...he didn't know much about Terri Schiavo. And he thought Hezbollah was in Afghanistan. You know, these are kind of major problems, especially after all these years with George W. Bush. People want a little more competence in the sense of the grasp of the issues.

On Monday’s "Lou Dobbs Tonight," host Lou Dobbs took aim at Katie Couric and Bill Moyers for "silly public statements" they’ve made regarding the practice of wearing an American flag lapel pin. "CBS's Katie Couric, of all people, taking exception to an American journalist saying 'we,' when referring to the United States.... I'm sorry, Katie Couric, but who could possibly be offended by acknowledging those troops who have sacrificed so much for us and ours?... PBS's Bill Moyers says the flag's been hijacked and turned into a logo, the trademark of a monopoly on patriotism. Oh, please, Bill Moyers, you're too smart for this kind of babble."

On the 40th anniversary of Che Guevara's death, October 8 New York Times penned a peppy little story about how his well-to-do children feel about their father's legacy as a Communist “revolutionary icon” and the commercialization of his image.

Glaringly absent was any mention of his unpleasant history, especially the nickname he was given when he was Cuba's high executioner, The Butcher of la Cabana.

The NYT lamented that Che's image has fallen prey to the claws of capitalism and his “message” diluted. Too bad there was no description of the brutal way that “message” was delivered (emphasis mine throughout):

CNN’s Anderson Cooper appearing on "The View" to promote his special "Planet in Peril." At the outset, Cooper claimed the series has no political agenda.

"There’s a lot of politics surrounding it, a lot of arguments surrounding it. But we just want to look at the facts. There’s no agenda. There’s no- we’re not trying to- we’re not advocates for any cause. We’re basically just looking at facts and letting viewers make up their own minds."

Really? Later in the segment it sure looked like it did. Co-host Joy Behar asked what can be done. The CNN anchor noted to save the environment, we need "major policy decisions."

You know the media are saturated with political correctness when it becomes necessary to defend Hollywood. And the October 9 CBS “The Early Show” was no exception.

LA Weekly’s Deadline Hollywood Daily reported Warner Bros. President of Production Jeff Robinov made the decree “We are no longer doing movies with women in the lead.”

The article, written by Nikki Finke called Robinov’s comment “Neanderthal thinking.”

"View" moderator Whoopi Goldberg surprisingly called out Reverend Al Sharpton for sometimes jumping to conclusions too swiftly, particularly on the false Duke lacrosse sexual assault allegation. In discussing Al Sharpton calling for Isiah Thomas to apologize for his conduct with a female New York Knicks staffer, Whoopi Goldberg called for Sharpton to apologize for protesting the innocent Duke lacrosse players.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Will you do me a favor? Will you ask him to please apologize to the Duke lacrosse players?

JOY BEHAR: Oh

http://prisonplanet....

Well folks, here you go. From the man himself. Ex president of Mehico Vicente Fox.

New Currency (Check)

NAFTA (Check)

North American Union (Check)

All in the collusion of President Bush (Check)

Unsane and others saying "Well, what does he know, he is the EX president." (Surely check)

On Tuesday’s CBS "Early Show," host Harry Smith interviewed former president Jimmy Carter, who he introduced as "Nobel Peace Prize Laureate President Jimmy Carter." Smith then proceeded to launch into a discussion about Iran citing an "an exhaustive investigative piece in the New Yorker...by Sy [Seymour] Hersh." Apparently Harry and ‘Sy’ are good buddies. Smith described how Hersh’s article "chronicles the building up, the drum beats of the potential of war with Iran" and asked Carter: "Is there a best way to find peace with Iran?"

Asking the president who oversaw the disastrous Iranian hostage crisis how to deal with Iran is like asking the dictator of Sudan how to bring about an end to the genocide in Darfur. Oh wait, Carter has talked to the Sudanese tyrant about that very issue:

The GOP presidential candidates will be debating this afternoon at 4:00pm Eastern. This will be the first debate in which Fred Thompson will be participating.

Discuss the debate on this thread or (if you are a registered NB user), join the live chat here.

"It hotter than Rush Limbaugh's scrotum in polyester pant!"

For an episode focused on prostitutes, robbery, and bowling, the executives at NBC still managed to insult conservative Rush Limbaugh. Last Friday’s episode of Las Vegas had the casino spa's manicurist Polly, known for her racy sexual commentary, taking a yoga class. Her instructor warns her against drinking too much water, and the writers seemed to feel that the only way to accurately describe the heat in the room was to take a cheap political shot. The exchange:

TRAINER: If you drink any more water, Polly, you're gonna throw up. Do you wanna throw up?

POLLY: No, but it hotter than Rush Limbaugh's scrotum in polyester pant!

Video clip from the October 5 episode (15 secs): Real (500 KB) or Windows Media (575 KB), plus MP3 audio (90 KB)

A friend of mine is taking on his daughter's local school's tactics of forcing children to march before school starts. He wrote a letter to the local paper which was published. Local teachers posing as parents are posting comments attempting to discredit his claim.  It will be interesting to see how the media treats this.

Read about it here:

http://www.billingsgazette.net/artic...id=36026#36026

If you feel strongly either way, please leave a comment on the newspaper's website.  There's a comments section.

Have you heard about The Climate Project?

This is an organization founded by soon-to-be-Nobel Laureate Al Gore designed to train mindless automatons the Global Warmingist-in-Chief’s factually flawed slideshow so that they can travel around the world inciting hysteria about manmade global warming.

And, of course, make Al Gore more money!

Maybe most deplorable, their lectures are given at community centers, senior facilities, coffee houses, and other places members of the public go to meet, greet, and eat.

Would you like a schmear of propaganda with your bagel this morning, Mrs. Silverman?

With that disturbing visual adroitly planted, this is TCP’s defined mission (emphasis added for your enhanced reading displeasure):

Democratic mayor Robert Levy, accused of being a phony soldier of sorts, went AWOL on September 26, failing to report to work on behalf of the citizens of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Reported the AP in an October 9 article:

Levy has been mired in scandal for nearly a year.

Last fall, the Press of Atlantic City reported that the Vietnam veteran's claims that he was a member of the Green Berets were untrue. He apologized.

But federal authorities have been looking into whether the 64-year-old Levy made that claim to increase his veteran's benefit payments.

Hmm, no party label? Even though this is not just resume embellishment but a possible case of veterans benefits fraud?

Paul von Zielbauer of the New York Times has filed 34 stories on the alleged killings by marines of two dozen Iraqi civilians in Haditha since the incident first came to light in July 2006. His story on Saturday may be one of the last, as the murder charges against the marines are falling apart: "The Erosion of a Murder Case Against Marines in the Killing of 24 Civilians."

One would never have guessed that outcome based on von Zielbauer's previous pieces, which bought into the assumption that the marines had "massacred" 24 Iraqi civilians.

January 7: "An American government report on the killing of 24 Iraqis, including several women and children, by marines in the village of Haditha in 2005 provides new details of how the shoo