NewsBuster Mark Finkelstein was a guest yesterday on the Joe Scarborough Show, the nationally-syndicated radio show that the Morning Joe anchor co-hosts with Mika Brzezinski.
Listen to audio here.
For days, Scarborough had been lambasting Republicans for going after Pres. Obama on his speech to schoolchildren. Finkelstein argued that it was not so much the potential for indoctrination as the cult of personality which was objectionable. He pointed out that the Obama-centric study guide for the speech was of a piece with messianic image that the president has allowed to grow up around him, going back to the presidential campaign and his famous "this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal" speech.
The trio also touched on Van Jones, agreed that someone was asleep at the White House switch not to have seen the controversy coming, and that the MSM would have been all over a Republican with a comparably controversial background. Mark mentioned how NewsBusters had documented the way in which the MSM had ignored the Van Jones situation until forced to report his resignation.
Joe had kind words for NewsBusters, calling it a "great website," and Mika graciously concluded that when it comes to hearing from a NewsBuster, "I love the conversation; I think we need to have it."
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Thanks Mark F.
September 9, 2009 - 09:49 ET by QueenMumKeep up the good work MRC and N.B.
"The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out
of other people's money."
—Margaret Thatcher
School Speech
September 9, 2009 - 09:58 ET by allanfIt is one thing to tell children to do well in school. It is another thing to schedule a speech to children right before a major "policy" speech before Congress. It was also not advisable to issue a lesson plan with "how can we help Barack"
We agree
September 9, 2009 - 09:53 ET by KC MulvilleMark, you and the NB staff do a great job. It's good to see you start to get the recognition you deserve.
One point. Rahm Emanuel wasn't part of the Obama campaign. He came onto the team after they won the Super Bowl, so to speak. And for all the raves about Emanuel, especially from the people who are trying to suck up to him ... you have to look at his actual performance, and wonder whether the original campaigners are starting to doubt him. Where are the results? They passed the huge spending packages only because there was no opposition. Now, we look at the first two legs of Obama's agenda (energy and healthcare); both are stalled. They're not dead yet, but they're in bad shape.
Seriously, unless they come up with an Emanuel-miracle ... I give him six months before he resigns and goes back to the House.
Even the speech as
September 9, 2009 - 09:58 ET by HockeyKidEven the speech as presented was little more than an "everybody be like ME" talk. Uhbama used the word "I" 50 times in a speech that ran about 18 minutes (not counting the "I's" in his quote from Michael Jordan). That's once every 21 seconds, and doesn't count the use of "me", "my", "mine", etc.
Narcissism writ large--not exactly the example I want set for my children.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Liberal hack!
September 9, 2009 - 10:01 ET by kengieWe don't want their liberal agenda in our children's school!! These are the same liberal folkes who want the bible stuff in our schools. Keep your mind poison away from our children!
Just say no, kngie.
September 9, 2009 - 10:12 ET by KarmaJust say no. It's a terrible thing to waste.
(reminder... no e after k, especially after fol.)
Healthcare...Food...Education...Housing... - What sprouted as free for some is maturing into a free-for-all.
Also...
September 9, 2009 - 10:14 ET by Karma...here's my apology in advance.
Healthcare...Food...Education...Housing... - What sprouted as free for some is maturing into a free-for-all.
→ Please ban kengie!!!
September 9, 2009 - 10:17 ET by Cool ArrowThis guy is repeating the same post about bible reading in school.
Now he wants to see Sarah Palin pole-dancing.
Please nip this little twit off the board.
Van Jones is a Quitter - FS
Free speech hurts ya , eh?
September 9, 2009 - 10:39 ET by kengieNo ...you can't shout me down!!! HA! And I repeat..we don't want the government's agenda, nor do we want the bible or the Koran forced on our children.
And who doesn't want to see her on that pole again!
Van Jones is a Quitter, so is Sarah Palin...
~The only pole here
September 9, 2009 - 10:40 ET by choselife3xIs the one you're about to be sitting on.
That high-pitched scream you hear is the troll under my 4" spiked heel.
"our children"?
September 9, 2009 - 10:40 ET by SickofLibsI'll take of my children, you keep burying your egg sacs in the mud.
It is a matter of trust. We don't trust the far left President.
September 9, 2009 - 10:19 ET by JWFMichelle Malkin is covering this .
Why is the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education, the New York City Department of Education Chancellor & High School Athletic Director among the people pushing Get Schooled: You Have the Right documentary featuring President Barack Obama?
Why are we teaching non-tax paying, non-voting children to get used to demanding rights? Why are we teaching them to write their governor to redress these rights that no one has ever heard of? Why are children being pushed to write their governors to tell them they are keeping an eye on how money is being spent.
Make sure that 100 billion goes directly to the teacher's unions gov, we are watching you and will be voting Democrat just as soon as we come of age or if ACORN can illegally sign us up sooner.
Why are we learning about this website now when the President talks to our children? Why are we having our children focus on a bill of rights that has nothing to do with real rights? Is it to get them indoctrinated to become good little social activists?
http://www.getschooled.com/#/resources/students_bill_of_rights
Why is the President featured so prominently under I WANT - I WANT - I WANT? Are we indocrtinating our kids to Demand Demand Demand? So that when they are bigger, they can demand free health care and free housing and free food?
http://www.getschooled.com/#/home
I don't trust this President. I don't trust his unaccountable czars that exist outside the checks and balances of our system. I don't trust the far left democrats that are either complicit with his far left program or dupes. I don't trust him.
I need to stop here. I am finding myself angrier than Mr. Helm and Mr. Levin.
One more, why am I learning all of this right around the same time the President is talking to our kids?
Sincerely,
a Veteran of a 1000 psychic wars.
Well put! The point of trust
September 9, 2009 - 10:54 ET by Republic1Well put! The point of trust is central to this. Had an honorable man wanted to address the nation's schoolchildren, it would have seemed odd, but not sinister. But we have a banana republic left-wing narcissist in the White House, and if I had kids in school I would have kept them home rather than have them suffer what was surely an effort to expand el presidente's cult of personality.
"I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula." -Muhammad
Obama has used children before for his own political benefit...
September 9, 2009 - 12:05 ET by OxyCon...so everyone is right to be weary of him speaking directly to our children. He is unscruplous enough to use children to badger their parents to vote for him. He’s done it blatantly in the past. He’s a master manipulator.
———————-
Obama to college students: Time for ‘The Talk’
A reader forwards on an email from the Obama campaign to his .edu email, suggesting he try to bring his parents, as well as “grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins,” on board, and offering tips as to how:
If your family isn’t already supporting Barack, it’s time for you to have “The Talk.”
With so many rumors and misperceptions out there, it’s incredibly important that you sit down with parents or other family members. Tell them who Barack is, what he stands for, and why you’re supporting him.
You may be the only person who can convince them.
Also from the email: “Breaking the ice can be hard. Start by asking if they saw the debate on Tuesday and what they thought about it.”
There’s also a “The Talk” page on Obama’s site, with handy dos and don’ts.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/Obama_to_college_students_Time_for_The_Talk.html
And also on Obama’s own website:
Have you had “The Talk” with your parents or family?
Tell us about your experience talking to your family. If you have created a YouTube video, please share the link.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/thetalk
→ OxyCon
September 9, 2009 - 12:10 ET by Cool Arrow"The Talk" should include what that man will try to do to you when he gets alone with you.
"The Talk" should include a warning about the flattering lies he will tell you in his efforts to close his deal.
Van Jones is a Quitter - FS
Here's an example of how
September 9, 2009 - 15:25 ET by Carl KolchakHere's an example of how school children were indocrinated and used as spies for cult of personality Ceausescu the Communist ruler of Romania.
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.item&news_id=195801
"The Chancellor-the late chancellor-was only part correct. He was obsolete. But so was the State, the entity he worshiped. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of man, that state is obsolete. A case to filed under 'M' for Mankind in the Twilight Zone" Rod Serling
Mark... I really enjoyed
September 9, 2009 - 16:42 ET by bigtimerMark...
I really enjoyed that...great job.
'Bubbles' oops.... Mika and yourself do go way back...hehehee
As to Van Jones getting a pass from the big-wig oh-so-bright O-Team ...and nobody catching his past like Rahm and Axlerod...it may be very well be their arrogance was counting on no one catching anything about the communist...after-all, it takes one to know one...I don't care what what they say to the SRM.
'Go Green...Recycle Congress'
Thanks, bt: glad you enjoyed
September 9, 2009 - 18:41 ET by Mark FinkelsteinThanks, bt: glad you enjoyed it. And yes, Mika surely knew to what I was alluding. But in truth, I really have had a change of heart about her. Yes, Mika's a liberal, but she is consistently fair. For example, she's gone out of her way to be respectful of Sarah Palin. My biggest remaining beef with Mika is her advocacy of nanny-statism, particularly when it comes to slapping sin taxes on things she feels are bad for people. But we'll work on that ;-)