Newsweek's Conventional Wisdom is something of a throwaway feature that senior editor Jonathan Alter could easily churn out in between his morning constitutional and brushing his teeth.
His choices are almost always reliably liberal, as his recent takes on Pope Benedict XVI and Vice President Dick Cheney reflect.
Alter gave the pontiff a sideways arrow on April 16 for his U.S. trip. It's dripping with the usual talking points in the liberal media:
Gets a warm welcome in D.C. on his birthday, but can he win over disgruntled Roman Catholics?
This is an election year, but last I checked the only election that matters in the Catholic Church is the one that selects the new pope after the old one dies. Benedict is a religious leader holding forth a Christian tradition, not a politician courting support from the masses. Catholic Church teaching holds Benedict as a successor to the Apostle Peter and as such a guardian of divinely inspired apostolic teaching. Yet to Alter, Benedict is just another poll-plagued politico looking to curry favor from a U.S. publicity tour.
Biased as it is, at least Alter's swipe at Benedict makes some measure of sense compared to his April 21 print edition snark about Vice President Cheney. Alter assigned the veep a down arrow although the text of his gripe complains about the media:
A nude woman reflected in his shades? No, a fishing rod. Grow up, media.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
Editor at Large
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but can he win over
April 16, 2008 - 14:19 ET by motherbeltbut can he win over disgruntled Catholics? With a clear implication that that's his duty....
And Cheney gets a down arrow for the media imagining a naked woman reflected in his sunglasses?????
Good grief.
In the doctor's office the other day, I picked up a Newsweek. The CW of that issue had a down arrow for President Bush (big surprise)!
The reason? (Paraphrasing): He and Cheney think the war is a success. Somone should tell that to the 4000.
Nice, huh?
He only gets an UP arrow if...
April 16, 2008 - 15:17 ET by aeroveloHes assasinated, impeached or hung...or all of the above while being caught cheating on his wife.
Ask yourself: Do I want a good paying job, or do I want a government hand out. Its that simple!
In the doctor's office the
April 16, 2008 - 17:32 ET by NewsbusterbrownIn the doctor's office the other day, I picked up a Newsweek. The CW of that issue had a down arrow for President Bush (big surprise)!
The reason? (Paraphrasing): He and Cheney think the war is a success. Somone should tell that to the 4000.
Nice, huh?
More like idiotic, as you would agree. I assume Newsweek must think Lincoln and FDR/Truman were even less successful in their respective wars than Bush judging by how many more troops died in those wars, too.
“There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” - Ronald Reagan (1964 Republican Convention)
Thanks, Ken
April 16, 2008 - 21:03 ET by Cape ConservativeI had the same thoughts when I saw that one! Of course we all know CW canNOT find an up arrow for the president, vice president or Karl Rove! IMPOSSIBLE!