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LAT Distorts Chronology of Juan Carlos/Hugo Chavez Incident

By Gary Hall | November 17, 2007 | 21:17

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Here's how it occurred:

1. Venezuela's Hugo Chavez calls former Spanish prime minister Aznar a "fascist."
2. Chavez interrupts current Spanish prime minister Zapatero.
3. Spanish King Juan Carlos tells Chavez to "shut up."

Let me get this straight. King Carlos of Spain started this?

According to a Nov., 11th AP story, it was Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who first "triggered the exchange by repeatedly referring to former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar as a ‘fascist.'" Chavez, reportedly also piled on the defamatory remarks by adding, "Fascists are not human. A snake is more human."

The AP account proceeds to lay out the course of events:

Spain's current socialist prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, responded during his own allotted time by urging Chavez to be more diplomatic in his words and respect other leaders despite political differences.

Media On Bush and HIV/AIDS, or “Praise the Lord and Pass the Antiretrovirals”

By Gary Hall | December 01, 2006 | 19:40

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The Christian, the Christian conservative, and the Bush administration record on efforts to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS and to care for the sick, suffering and dying millions, is a story of caring for human suffering which the MSM has little interest in sharing with the voting public.

In yesterday's LA Times, in a painfully difficult lead editorial, Christian conservatives vs. Aids, the paper, as most mainstream journalists can clearly relate, finds it difficult to enlighten their previously uneducated readers, that these folks are on the front lines and are leading the way in addressing the world's HIV/Aids problem. Further, the LA Times finds it especially difficult to give President Bush any personal credit for his leadership. As they see it:

AFP - Now it's Global Warming Behind Typhoons in China

By Gary Hall | August 14, 2006 | 21:42

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In the opening lines of this alarmist piece, "Global warming behind disastrous typhoon season in China" put out by AFP yesterday (HT to Drudge), the reader is confronted with the the media's view of the facts:

 Global warming is contributing to an unusually harsh typhoon season in China that started around a month early and has left thousands dead or missing, government officials and experts say.
 OK. Then they begin to pile it on.

"Against the backdrop of global warming, more and more strong and unusual climatic and atmospheric events are taking place.

Meet the Press – The Questions We Will Not See Russert Ask of Joe Wilson.

By Gary Hall | July 16, 2006 | 23:11

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Assume that a Democrat is in the White House. The US has been fairly busy all over the globe with this warring thing: Operation's Bushwhacker, Desert Strike, Desert Fox, Southern Skies, Infinite Reach, Allied Force, etc. A former Ambassador, an active supporter of the Republican party, is asked by a CIA operative [his wife] to take a trip to a foreign country to find out more information about a piece of intelligence provided to us by one of our closest allies.

Upon returning from the trip the Ambassador’s findings, according to a Senate Intelligence Committee report, “CIA analysts did not believe that the report added any new information to clarify the issue, they did not use the report to produce any further analytical products or highlight the report for policymakers. For the same reason, CIA's briefer did not brief the Vice President on the report, despite the Vice President's previous questions about the issue.” Regardless, the Ambassador goes right ahead and writes a column attacking the administration on the case of WMD’s. Fast Forward to the real players. It’s so weak that even Dana Milbank, over at the Washington Post is forced to acknowledge in an Oct, 25, 2005 article that: “Wilson had to admit he had misspoken.”

Earth's Temp at 400-Year High -- Again?

By Gary Hall | June 22, 2006 | 14:06

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In an Associated Press story today, Study Says Earth's Temp at 400-Year High (hat tip to Drudge), AP press writer, John Heilprin brings us the "hot" news from the National Academy of Sciences:

The Earth is the hottest it has been in at least 400 years, probably even longer. The National Academy of Sciences, reaching that conclusion in a broad review of scientific work requested by Congress, reported Thursday that the "recent warmth is unprecedented for at least the last 400 years and potentially the last several millennia.

However, as we read on, there seems to be a bit of confusion here in whether or not the earth was this warm 400 years ago or several millennia ago, as the article goes on to revisit these quite recent temperature (historically speaking) records. Now, I ask you to consider, as you read each of these statements on the historical record of warming. Is today's global warming unprecedented?

Hillary in 2008? - Associated Press Runs a Presidential Advertisement

By Gary Hall | February 16, 2006 | 20:28

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According to an AP story written by Beth Fouhy, Senator Hillary Clinton's wax likeness is set to be unveiled this Thursday at Madame Tussaud's wax museum:

.. complete with a campaign-style balloon drop, flags and a full-throated rendering of "Hail to the Chief."

The article goes on to inform us of the details:

The Clinton statue, crafted at the original Tussauds museum in London, will take its place in a wing dedicated to presidents and other public figures known as "the gallery." There, the likeness of the Democratic senator will join statues of Presidents Bush, Reagan, Kennedy, and her husband, Bill Clinton.

A Closer Look at Tom Shales' Claim: "Bush Worst Pres. Since Hoover"

By Gary Hall | February 01, 2006 | 14:44

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Tim Graham has already addressed this comment today in his post on comparisons of Bush and Herbert Hoover. I would like to address the point Tom Shales made in his Washington Post column today, A Speech Both Stately And Stolid, and provide a bit more historical basis for the use of this comparison - to Hoover. Shales stated in his opening line:

Whether George W. Bush is, at best, the worst president since Herbert Hoover -- as a seemingly sizable number of Americans appear to believe -- he acquitted himself fairly well and came off as basically competent when he delivered his fifth State of the Union speech last night.

Mayor Calls for Cruel Punishment - Will There Be Outrage?

By Gary Hall | November 03, 2005 | 22:51

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Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, an outspoken Democrat, seems to catch lots of attention, locally. Will it stay that way? The Democrats in Nevada want him to run for governor, to replace their Republican Governor, Kenny Guinn. According the Las Vegas Sun, 5 October 2005:

But some close to him have said the mayor is seriously considering a run, and the latest poll suggests he's the best hope for the Democrats.

A Zogby International poll released Tuesday found Goodman was the only Democrat to top Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., the Republican front-runner and early favorite in the 2006 governor's race.

This is all a bit amazing. In March of 2005, the Los Vegas Sun story line is, "Mayor endorses gin to fourth graders." Other times, he's more politically movivated on the national level, out attacking President Bush's conservative judicial nominations. But yesterday, he's out promoting the idea of cutting off the thumbs of graffati artists who deface public property. Wait! He’s not finished. He even suggests that the government step in and start whipping and caning the kids that are in trouble. Anyone see the ACLU coming?
By the way, here's how you find out the Mayor's political leanings. Well, you'll have to go search. The media just leaves it out. If the politician does or says something outrageous, possibly illegal, and he is a Democrat, his party affiliation won't be mentioned - good luck finding out. That is, if the story is even printed. If he/she is a Republican, it will be right up top, and then the news will miraculously appear all over the media. Here's the news - oh, too bad Aaron Brown is gone, we're sure that this one would have been covered in tomorrows news segment. Right. In the November 03, 2005 Las Vegas Sun:

MoveOn.Org Continues to Mislead its Members

By Gary Hall | October 28, 2005 | 20:35

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In a recent posting by Tim Graham, MoveOn.Org vs. Liberal Media Reality On 2,000 "Milestone" Coverage of Iraq, MoveOn.Org, is seen to be misrepresenting the facts concerning the extent of media coverage of the US military deaths reaching the 2000 mark in Iraq, claiming that “the national media are ignoring this tragic milestone." In reality, the national media gave not only exceptionally broad and prominent coverage to the event, they flooded the air and print medium with extended coverage over many days. In the process, many other newsworthy items, such as the historic vote on the constitutional referendum in Iraq, and the after effects of Hurricane Wilma in Florida were left in the dust.

Al Gore - The Media is Serving You Well

By Gary Hall | October 07, 2005 | 14:53

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Al [Gore] - just a little matter here. Did CBS perform any earnest "investigative" reporting on John Kerry or his past (we're past the fact that they did their best to protect you)? By that, I don't mean did they (Rather) ever investigate the Swift Boat folks or the Swift Boat claims about Kerry. We all know that they spent much time trying to tear that down. What I want to know, Al, is what happened to journalism here? Seem to be working fine for you folks.  The only reason these so called "odd groups", "Swift Boaters of the United States .. mechanism" (thank you Donald Sutherland for that one) have reason, or need, to exist in the first place, is because the media is only investigating one group of people - the Republicans. If the news is not going to do its job, Al, then someone has to step up to the plate, be it the mechanisms of independent groups or bloggers. And yes, freedom of speech does extend to other people as well.

CNN Keeps the Facts (and Views) Off the Table on HIV/AIDS Funding

By Gary Hall | September 29, 2005 | 15:38

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Wolf Blitzer, CNN’s “The Situation Room,” had Angelina Jolie on yesterday. After a discussion on the Katrina disaster and her reaction to the newly discovered “poverty” there, the topic shifted to her relief work in Africa and HIV/Aids issues, and eventually, of course -- to funding. Wolf Blitzer, jumping on an opening, had the following line ready to go [emphasis added] - brief disussion followed:

BLITZER: Bono, another star who has been deeply involved in trying to help people around the world. He was quoted in "Time" magazine in June as saying, "the most important and toughest nut is still President Bush. He feels he's already doubled and tripled aid to Africa, which he has, but he started from far too low a place."[Here is the point from which the interview should develop. Clinton admin. was doing way too little, now we are doing much more. How much more?]
Are you getting involved in the politics here in Washington, as well, trying to excite people, Democrats and Republicans?