John Stephenson's blog

The mainstream media continue to ignore the outrageous background of Obama’s “safe school czar” Kevin Jennings. So far very little, if any, coverage on this has been done by media other than FOX. Blogger Jim Hoft at Big Government has been doing an excellent job however. People should be demanding this guy be removed! If you are unfamiliar with all of this here is a sample:

GLSEN offered sex education seminars to young teenagers within the framework of public education that went way, way beyond explanations of human biology and disease transmission. According to multiple sources, GLSEN discussed “fisting”, oral sex etiquette, and other techniques to 14-year-olds, until the program got exposed by local Massachusetts media, and the instructor got fired as a scapegoat. Jim has the audio from one of the seminars, discussing the proper hand position for “fisting”:

There is no way the media can ignore Holder's controversial decision to try 911 conspirators in New York courts.  Don't expect them them to cover the pressure behind the scenes that made it happen though.  Don't expect them to hold Obama to his past opinions either.

Much has been written over the past 24 hours that does well to explain why the Obama regime's despicable decision to bestow unprecedented constitutional protections on those whose only connection to America is that they have directed the incineration of thousands of our innocent countrymen or worked not quite as "successfully" for the same or worse.

Did you know Obama's "Green Jobs Czar", Van Jones,  is a self admitted communist?  Did you know audio surfaced of an interview with him where he spoke of incrementalist revolution?  These extreme views are not even denied by the Czar.  Did you have any idea he signed a document asking for the investigation of the U.S. government for orchestrating the events of 911?  Did you know after bloggers exposed him as a conspiracy theorist he lamely claimed he didn't know what he was signing and did not hold the views of a government conspiracy?  Did you know that after his denial more documents surfaced exposing his involvement in anti-war, and 911 conspiracy groups as early as 2002?

For the past week the news media have ran stories on the what the blogosphere has dubbed "birthers", a group focusing on the controversy of Obama's citizenship and lack of providing a long form birth certificate to the public.  This group, while a minority in the conservative circle, are making themselves heard and the media are asking every Republican figure they can to weigh in on the issue.  It is obvious what their agenda is, and it is to embarrass Conservatives.

 Meanwhile, they ignore conspiracy theories and extreme viewpoints espoused by one of Obama's top advisors and science czar, John Holdren.  A large part of the horror of abortion lies in the monstrous presumption of liberals declaring that human life begins not at conception, but whenever they say it does. Maybe that’s six weeks, maybe six months.  Maybe it’s years. Obama’s Science Czar John Holdren (the guy who wanted to put a sterilizing agent in our drinking water) gives us an idea of how slippery this slope can get.  From his book Human Ecology: Problems and Solutions:

Back in the 2006 nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court , Barack Obama criticized the philosphy on confirming Supreme Court Justices stating the Senate should "only examine whether or not the Justice is intellectually capable and is nice to his wife."  He further objected that, "once you get beyond intellect and personal character there shouldn't be further question to whether the justice should be confirmed.  Meaningful advice and consent includes an examination of a judge's philosophy, ideology, and record."

At the recent media celebration of Barack Obama's first 100 days as President, Barack Obama made the bold claim that he created or saved over 150,000 jobs. 

This budget builds on the steps we’ve taken over the last 100 days to move this economy from recession to recovery and ultimately to prosperity.
We began by passing a Recovery Act that has already saved or created over 150,000 jobs and provided a tax cut to 95 percent of all working families.Source

This would be wonderful news, if it were true.  Unfortunately, no one seems to be able to figure out where he got these numbers from.  They just don't seem to add up to the facts.

So where do they get away with a number like that?

Perhaps the unrepentant domestic terrorist friend of Barack Obama did his part avoiding the media, but most of the media certainly lacked in pursuing him. Suddenly, now that that Barack Obama has been elected, the media are interested in extending this America hater’s fifteen minutes of fame. Good Morning America is promoting their exclusive interview with Bill Ayers, which will most likely be a puff-piece interview touting how he is really a harmless professor who lives in Obama’s neighborhood. Maybe they will let him promote his newly reissued book on the Weather Underground too! If so, perhaps they will ask him about this interesting quote in the book’s new afterword:

We had served together on the board of a foundation, knew one another as neighbors and family friends, held an initial fund-raiser at my house, where I’d made a small donation to his earliest political campaign,” he writes.

The mainstream media are willfully ignoring many questionable ties and friendships of Barack Obama.  The list does not end with the radical racist preacher Jeremiah Wright and unrepentant domestic terrorist William Ayers.  They have totally ignored Obama campaigning for the socialist revolutionary Raila Odinga in Kenya.  They have also ignored his ties with radical Islamic extremist Khalid Al Masour.

LA Times takes things to the next level.  They are going beyond the level of ignoring to the level of willfully witholding informative evidence from the public.  The associate of Barack Obama in question this time is Rashid Khalidi, a former PLO operative and best friend of William Ayers. The LA times has a video of Barack Obama toasting this friend of his while attending a Jew bashing dinner, and they are refusing to release the video to the public.

Listen to this audio from a 1995 interview where Obama says a blatant race baiting statement implying that whites don't want to pay taxes to inner city children for them to go to school.  The interview is full of defense on Obama's socialistic views on taxation, and other controversial remarks. 

It took the "new media" and blogs to dig this information up.  This would have never seen the light of day if it were left up to the mainstream media.  Now that it has been brought into the light, will the media pick up their fumbled ball and run with it?  I doubt it, but perhaps if enough blogs report on it they can be shamed into doing so.  They won't report on this unless they have to.

What should be front page news informing and warning Americans is going entirely unnoticed by the MSM. It couldn’t be any more obvious the media are in the tank for Obama. Stanley Kurtz asks, “where's the press”?

In “Something New Here,” I laid out Barack Obama’s ties to the far-left New Party. Blogger Trevor Loudon, of New Zeal, did the pioneering work on this issue. Today, Loudon has posted good quality scans of New Party documents and pictures confirming Obama’s membership. We’ve seen most of this information before (although only recently), but never so clearly.

The media were quick to dig into Joe Wurzelbacher's personal and private information such as tax records, and trumpet it to the world in an attempt to discredit someone that dared question Barack Obama's tax plan.  Lets see if they even report on this when they don’t have any digging to do whatsoever.

Apparently, on Obama’s released tax records, he discloses income from speaking fees. The problem? Accepting payment for speaking fees when you’re a legislator is against Illinois state law

Apparently, as an Illinois state legislator through 2004, Barack was prohibited from taking honoraria for speaking under the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act

But what about Barack Obama’s 2000 and 2002 tax returns?

2000: On his 2000 Schedule C-EZ, Barack reported that he received $16,500 as a “Foundation director/Educational speaker.”

Remember how the media had to play catch-up with the National Enquirer and blogs after rumors that begged for investigation were ignored?  Many enjoyed that.  Will the media repeat the same mistake again now that strong rumors are surfacing of an Obama affair?

The rumors are swirling, but I never heard them. The first I heard of them was in this preemptive defense calling them smears. Larry Johnson is talking this up, but he isn’t the most reliable source…however when Jammie Wearing Fool has info and predicts this will be a scoop I listen.

From Sharon Churcher’s preemptive defense piece:

Reprinted with full permission from Wake Up America:

The media has been busy reporting the “anger” of the conservatives at the McCain/Palin rallies, how supporters want McCain to get tougher on Obama and force Obama’s terrorist associations into the eyes of the public and how McCain has been forced to “defend” poor little Barack Obama…..but where are the media reports about Obama supporters wearing t-shirts calling Sarah Palin a c*nt?

Have you seen this reported anywhere at all?

Please let me know where and I will add the link as an update.

This picture came to me via email, the email text is below:

Obama’s unbreakable friendship with the unrepentant, America hating terrorist William Ayers of the Weather Underground is probably one of the most important things America needs to know about Barack before voting day. The media have done well in pretending this is not an issue, and acting as if this does not bring serious questions about Obama’s judgement. The media want this controversial relationship to be swept under the rug.

Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, finally played the Ayers card. CNN were quick to the defense in what they had the gall to call a “fact check”.

Verdict: False. There is no indication that Ayers and Obama are now “palling around,” or that they have had an ongoing relationship in the past three years. Also, there is nothing to suggest that Ayers is now involved in terrorist activity or that other Obama associates are.

The Judicial Confirmation Network Council are not the only ones that are reminding us of Barack Obama's poor judgement of associates with their new ad...Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is reminding everyone too.

Republican vice presidential
candidate Sarah Palin on Saturday accused Democrat Barack Obama of “palling around with terrorists” because of an old association with a
former ’60s radical, stepping up an effort to portray Obama as unacceptable to American voters. [...]
Palin’s reference was to Bill Ayers, one of the founders of the group the Weather Underground. Its members took credit for bombings, including nonfatal explosions at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol, during the Vietnam War era. Obama, who was a child when the group was active, served on a charity board with Ayers several years ago and has denounced his radical views and activities.
[...]
The Republican campaign, falling behind Obama in polls, plans to make attacks on Obama’s character a centerpiece of candidate John McCain’s message in the final weeks of the presidential race.

Everybody is talking about this poll from CNN declaring victory for Obama’s debate performance last night with an article titled “Round 1 in debates goes to Obama, poll says.”

Noah Pollak reads the fine print of the article and takes a few notes from deeper down into the specifics.

Buried way, way down at the bottom of the story — hopefully, one surmises, past the point where anyone would read — is the following:

The results may be favoring Obama simply because more Democrats than Republicans tuned in to the debate. Of the debate-watchers questioned in this poll, 41 percent of the respondents identified themselves as Democrats, 27 percent as Republicans and 30 percent as independents.

I’m far from being a polling expert, but this is obviously a slanted poll. A 14-point split between Republican and Democrat respondents? And what percentage of those “independents” were leaners for Obama?

Since the current financial crisis is taking place under a Republican administration it is easy for people to automatically blame Republicans. The media have happily pushed this misconception too. Facts the media ignore are things such as the very groundwork for today’s problems being rooted in legislation created by Jimmy Carter , or that in 2003 President Bush proposed “the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis that was blocked by Democrats on party lines. However, the media don’t report these very important and significant facts and so it is no wonder that the GOP takes the brunt of the blame in this recent CNN poll.

While the media use all their resources to hunt fake scandals on Sarah Palin, there are some serious developments that America needs to know about. The accusation from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry is that Barack Obama attempted to undermine troop withdrawal negotiations when he made his publicity trip to Iraq. For some reason, we have heard very little reporting on this from the media, even after Obama practically admitted to this.

In the New York Post, conservative Iranian-born columnist Amir Taheri quoted Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari as saying the Democrat made the demand when he visited Baghdad in July, while publicly demanding an early withdrawal.

“He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington,” Zebari said in an interview, according to Taheri.

So now the media really cares precisely which foot of Sarah Palin may or may not have been across a border on one overseas trip?  Why aren't they asking about some of Barack Obama's questionable overseas travel?

 Dan Riehl says enough is enough:

Maybe it's time the media did some serious looking into the early travels of a fellow who wants to be President, not Vice President of the United States - Barack Obama.

This isn't crazy Obama Muslim Manchurian candidate stuff. Remember the Clintonite who off-handedly dropped the "drug dealer" line during the primaries? Well, anyone can source this below based upon MSM accounts, the news at the time or the few simple links provided. It's certainly enough to make me curious about some things.

I certainly don't expect the media to cover the Obama campaign's lack of decency in their last campaign ad video pointing out John McCain's inability to send emails.  There are only two explanations to their insensitivity.  Either they are mocking John McCain, or they lack in their own abilities on the internet.  Either way, it should be a major embarrassment for the Obama folks.  Of course, the media will pretend to be ignorant of it all.

Susan Duclos writes:

Much has been discussed about John McCain not being able to use a computer and in an ad from the Barack Obama campaign (shown above) it says, “Can’t send an email,” referencing McCain. An article in Boston.com from 2000, shows McCain cannot type on a keyboard.

It took a blogger from The Corner less than a day to find an article in Boston.com that references John McCain injuries from Vietnam, showing he cannot tie his shoes, comb his hair properly or “typing on a keyboard,” stating it was because of his severe war injuries, which limit his ability to do certain things with his hands.

CNN got duped! The supposed photo of Sarah Palin in an American flag bikini holding a rifle is a proven photoshop.

But Lola Ogunnaike, entertainment reporter for CNN’s American Morning, seems to believe the image is authentic. Yesterday she told Reliable Sources host Howard Kurtz that Palin should maybe avoid posing with guns like this, because it might come back to bite her in the ass:

I mean, McCain has been really good about painting Obama as this lightweight, using the word “celebrity” as a pejorative. They don’t want to have a boomerang effect. They don’t want that to come back on Sarah Palin, and people say, yes, she looks good in a bikini clutching an AK-47, but is she equipped to run the country?

Oh well, CNN isn’t known for doing any actual fact-checking. They leave that to us bloggers. But, they could at least keep updated on the stuff we debunk.

The left really thought they had something to sink Sarah Palin for good! Wow! Look! We have youtube videos and members of a “fringe” state’s rights group that wants to secede that state Sarah was a member! Look! There she is actually talking with them at a meeting! Despite their candidate remained a member of a racist "God damn America" church for twenty years and only quit after enormous political pressure; and despite their candidate for president remains good friends with an unrepentant, America hating domestic terrorist that bombed the Pentagon and is still proud of it, they were eager to put the label of America hater around Sarah’s neck! There was only one little snag. Their accusations were unfounded, without evidence, and ultimately untrue! She has been a Republican since 1982!

All the spin will make you dizzy. Obama digs the hole deeper. After the media ignored the Obama campaign admitting that he lied about a vote he made in 2003 in favor of infanticide, now Obama is accusing others of “attacking” him with “outrageous lies”!

“Senator Obama strongly supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose. He believes that there is a moral and ethical element to this issue, and he believes that women do not make these decisions casually, but wrestle with them in consultation with their doctors, pastors and family. Senator Obama understands that some will disagree with him and choose not to support him, and he respects those with different opinions.

 Update:  After all the MSM ranting of an unfair trial, Hamdan gets 66 months including five years and a month time already served.

As soon as Salim Ahmed Hamdan was convicted Wednesday, July 6, there were several things expected

1. The ACLU and other leftist organizations would pitch hissy fits. Mission accomplished
2. Many liberals/progressives would tell us the decision was bad and would take the opportunity to rail at Bush. Mission accomplished
3. The Credentialed Media would release editorials against the decision. Mission accomplished!

Starting with CBS News, who had theirs out late Wednesday

In a rare self admission, the media admits they are in the tank for Obama. IHT - Media stars will accompany Obama overseas

Senator John McCain’s trip to Iraq last spring was a low-key affair: With his ordinary retinue of reporters following him abroad, the NBC News anchor Brian Williams reported on his arrival in Baghdad from New York, with just two sentences tacked onto the “in other political news” portion of his newscast.

But when Obama heads for Iraq and other locations overseas this summer, Williams is planning to catch up with him in person, as are the other two evening news anchors, Charles Gibson of ABC and Katie Couric of CBS, who, like Williams, are far along in discussions to interview Obama on successive nights.

And while the anchors are jockeying for interviews with Obama at stops along his route, the regulars on the Obama campaign plane will have new seat mates: star political reporters from the major newspapers and magazines who are flocking to catch Obama’s first overseas trip since becoming the presumptive nominee of his party.

The Iranians doctored a photo adding in a fourth missile, to cover up a failed one. The blogosphere exposed the manipulated photo. Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs was the first to the scene. However, the New York Times blog, The Lede, is taking credit for exposing this even though their report was given much later. FOX, obviously slacking on research, also credits the Lede.

Ace sums it up the best:

If you are unaware that America is on the cusp of a spectacular victory against Al Qaeda in Iraq, its most likely because you read American newspapers and watch American news.  We are closing in on a trap around 1,200 terrorists in Iraq that will effectively put an end to Al Qaeda in Iraq, but this report is oddly absent in American media.  They missed the boat on this one, but the Times of London reports:

After being forced from its strongholds in the west and centre of Iraq in the past two years, Al-Qaeda’s dwindling band of fighters has made a defiant “last stand” in the northern city of Mosul.

A huge operation to crush the 1,200 fighters who remained from a terrorist force once estimated at more than 12,000 began on May 10.

Operation Lion’s Roar, in which the Iraqi army combined forces with the Americans’ 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment, has already resulted in the death of Abu Khalaf, the Al-Qaeda leader, and the capture of more than 1,000 suspects.

 Update: Barack Obama's policy switches are giving the Left whiplash

Everyone can add two more Obama flip-flops to the ever-growing list.  Obama managed to make a full circle twist on the war in Iraq.  After gathering the liberal masses on his promise to quickly withdraw troops from Iraq, now that its time to tack to the center he makes a full reversal.  In his words, he has always held the right to "refine" his position on Iraq depending on circumstances.

“I’ve always said that the pace of withdrawal would be dictated by the safety and security of our troops and the need to maintain stability. That assessment has not changed,” he said. “And when I go to Iraq and have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I’m sure I’ll have more information and will continue to refine my policies.”…