Just when you thought the New York Times could not be any more partisan, biased and hypocritical, they go and pull a stunt that would make Janeane Garofalo blush.
The central character in this latest Times brouhaha (without the haha) is a radical leftist by the name of Van Jones. Jones was President Obama’s “green jobs czar” until he resigned in the middle of the night, just after midnight on Saturday. If you only got your news from the Times, you’d have every right to ask: Who’s Van Jones – and why did he resign?
Well, he’s the presidential adviser who (before he became a czar) said Republicans were assholes. But that, as things turned out, was a 1 one on the political Richter Scale. Then there were the comments about how white polluters and environmentalists are steering poison into black communities. Another ripple. And his public support for Mumia Abu-Jamal,who is on death row for the murder of a Philadelphia police officer. More ripples. But what caused a major quake was the revelation that Jones signed a petition a few years ago that called for an investigation to determine if the attacks on 9/11 were an inside job. Specifically, the “9/11 Truthers,” as they’ve been called, want to know if George W. Bush and the neo-cons in his administration willfully allowed the 9/11 attacks to happen so they could use the deaths of more than three thousand of their fellow Americans as a pretext to go to war.
Anyone who truly believes this, is not only suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome but is also a full-fledged psycho. It really is that simple.
But the fact that an adviser to the president signed such a screwball petition drew only yawns from the so-called mainstream media. Not surprisingly, Fox ran with the story, and so did talk radio – after the Gateway Pundit blog broke the news last Thursday. And when the story got traction in the conservative media, Van Jones morphed from loudmouth radical to cowering weasel and said the petition didn’t reflect his views, then or now. Really? Then why did he sign the damn thing?
The fact is until he resigned the New York Times ran exactly zero words about the controversy. Zero! But this didn’t stop the Times from reporting the following in its Sunday (Sept. 6) paper:
“In a victory for Republicans and the Obama administration’s conservative critics, Van Jones resigned as the White House’s environmental jobs ‘czar’ on Saturday.
Controversy over Mr. Jones’s past comments and affiliations has slowly escalated over several weeks, erupting on Friday with calls for his resignation.”
As Clay Waters of the Media Research Center elegantly put it: “An ‘escalation’ utterly ignored by the Times and almost all the mainstream media.”
Before he quit, NBC Nightly News didn’t cover the “escalating controversy” and neither did ABC World News Tonight. On Friday night, the CBS Evening News had a story about the Jones controversy and on Saturday morning the Washington Post ran a piece on page 3. And that pretty much was it as far as the MSM was concerned.
Now, let’s go back a month.
When the so-called “Birthers” – a fringe group of right-wingers (many of whom have criticized me for calling them that) were screaming about how Barack Obama was not born in the United States and therefore was not our legitimate president, the New York Times was outraged and demanded that prominent Republicans denounce these screwballs. But the Times never called on Democrats, prominent or otherwise, to denounce Van Jones. The “Birthers” are bad. The “9/11 Truthers” are worse.
News editors have always argued that news judgment is subjective – and that they alone have to make decisions on what gets into the paper and what doesn’t. Okay. So what should we make of their news judgment in the matter of Van Jones?
Well, one possibility is that the editors at the New York Times just didn’t think the story was all that important – nothing more than “a phony story whipped up by crazy, vicious right-wingers,” as a friend of mine who no longer can stand to read the Times put it, “and they weren’t going to fall for it.” Maybe the editors got together and said something like, “What’s the big deal about an adviser to the President of the Untied States signing a petition that questions whether George W. Bush was somehow involved in the 9/11 attacks?” If that’s what happened, then every hard news editor at the Times should resign and go into a line of work where journalistic skills are not required.
But then there’s always that other possibility: that they were covering for a president they’ve been rooting for since the day he announced his candidacy, a president they tried to turn into a Messiah, a president who is simply too historically important to fail.
I don’t know which it is. And just between us: I don’t really care! What’s important is that an important adviser to the President of the United States had to resign even though the New York Times (and much of the MSM that takes its cues from the Times) tried to keep the mess off our radar screen. Arrogant journalists probably figured, News is what WE say News is. That may have been true once, but not anymore.
So let’s just call this latest round of bias and hypocrisy, one more self-inflicted mainstream media wound – one of many that sooner or later will finish them off. And that’s the “inside job” they should really be worrying about.
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I would like to say that I feel that in a democratic society, for people to ostracize any American who signs a petition that merely asks for an investigation into a very controversial and pivotal incident, is a very bad sign for free speech, one of our most central tenets. To merely acknowledge that many Americans are very dissatisfied with the official story of 911, including many who actually served on the official Comission, and that you would support, along with many other U.S. citizens, another seperate and thorough investigation, does not necessarily suggest that the signer even believes personally that there was an inside job at work, although, if, through a proper investigation, we find there was an inside job at work, we should see to it that we are not afraid to acknowledge that fact and deal accordingly.
Perhaps the most dangerous message we can send as Americans to our fellow citizens and to the world community, is that we as a nation routinely demonize, ostrasize, and penalize those who disagree with some “official story,” even, and especially a story which seeks to explain one of the greatest tragedies our nation has ever known, a tragedy which affects our foreign and domestic policy at every level. We should truly be an open society, one that encourages critical thought, free speech and lively discource, even, and especially about, tough subjects.
I would like to say that I feel that in a democratic society, for people to ostracize any American who signs a petition that merely asks for an investigation into a very controversial and pivotal incident, is a very bad sign for free speech, one of our most central tenets. To merely acknowledge that many Americans are very dissatisfied with the official story, including many who actually served on the official Comission, and that you would support, along with many other U.S. citizens, another seperate and thorough investigation, does not necessarily suggest that the signer believes personally that there was an inside job at work. Perhaps the most dangerous message we can send as Americans to our fellow citizens and to the world community, is that we as a nation routinely demonize, ostrasize, and penalize those who disagree with some “official story,” even, and especially a story which seeks to explain one of the greatest tragedies our nation has ever known, a tradegy which affects our foreign and domestic policy at every level. We should truly be an open society, one that encourages critical thought, free speech and lively discource, even, and especially about, tough subjects.
Cynthia,
Sorry, honey. This is not controversial. It’s pretty clear what happened on 9/11. Anyone who believes that those other than Islamic radicals are at fault for the attack on 9/11/01 are not living in reality. This blatant attack is one of the most documented and investigated incidents ever analyzed. People who believe otherwise should be subjected to ridicule and marginalized for their lack of reason.
Joel, HONEY, I just came across your response to my comment.
The first thing that I have to say is that for you to suggest that folks who demand a serious investigation of this travesty should by ridiculed and marginalized shows me that you probably possess neither the desire or skill to take on such serious questions. In this country, we do not just decide to marginalize and ridicule fellow Americans for asking for an investigation into such pertinent and hugely influential matters., especially when they are asking in concert with many who have done their own investigating, like, what is it, six members of the Official Commission.
We do not need to insult each other over a simple quest to find the truth. That is wholly what we are actually to ask for as citizens priviledged to have been born American.
If you are thusly an American citizen, then you should respect the basic right to free speach and also a right to question any “official” story. Our Founding Fathers wanted us to be more, to be willing to be truly informed and to welcome a robust debate. Asking questions is not un-American or simple minded. It is actually the essence of democracy.
So, I challenge you to watch “Loose Change” one more time, and then come back and talk real issues. Blessings.
Dear Mr. Goldberg
I am 50 years old , and sadly , after hearing the president speak last night , I now strongly believe that this president has made more statements which divide this country , then any other president in my lifetime .
Thank You .
I wonder if MSM will investigate Obama’s claim that while in Indonesia his mother woke him up at 4:30 in the morning to do homework. Most likely – if a child is in Indonesia his/her mother will wake him/her up at 4:30 to have food and water before the sunrise during Ramadan – after sunrise Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink whole day until sundown – just common sense! I wonder if MSM will check on that, because many mothers wake up their kids early in the Muslim world – has nothing to do with homework. May be Obama did his homework then, but that is not why it was at 4:30 in the morning! All that reminds me of the bio of Lenin that was taught in Soviet schools – he never went to the bathroom – you know!
This is standard from the liberal playbook, when your own words are quoted back at you, even with context, you are a victim of dirty tricks and being smeared. They are just offended that someone actually listens when they say what they really believe.
Cannot believe what I am reading on this site. Is anyone really doing any serious “thinking”. Lots of concern about Van Jones. He is history. What do we do about the rantings of someone like Rush Limbaugh? People are listening to him everyday and it is absolutely the most vile and dumb rhetoric around. Just read his latest transcript and could not believe anyone can take his man seriously! And, if you want to talk about someone being anti-American (like Van Jones), perhaps you should look into the story about Dick Cheny and his recent interview with Chris Wallace. Talk about someone being anti-American and wanting to forego the law of the land! Let’s get real, folks. And I’m sure everyone thought Obama was trying to lead our children into socialism today with his speech!
I leave this reply to anybody else who reads this column, though I hope it won’t be necessary to say it:
Only a fool thinks that Van Jones is “history” now that he officially resigned his position as “Green Jobs Czar”…only a fool thinks that Obama won’t continue to maintain contact, and a now-behind-the-scenes working relationship, with Van Jones.
I’d also like to add that anybody who can compare any of Van Jones comments…notably about how white people are deliberately poisoning black people and Mexican immigrants, for example…then pompously proclaim that Rush Limbaugh’s comments are more “vile and dumb”…
Well, it serves as a shining example that the Mainstream Media aren’t the only ones blinded by their own Leftist narcissism.
As for okieinmuskogee, the old saying is “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”.
Thus, I say this in response to his/her tiresome diatribe:
….
Q.: What do we do about the rantings of someone like Rush Limbaugh?
A.: Nothing. Mr Limbaugh is a private citizen, and the likes of Mr Muskogee have no right whatever to control what he says. Mr Jones, on the other hand, was a government official who was placed in that position to influence government policy, and he rightfully lost that position because his seditious (and I use the term advisedly) ideas and activities became widely known, in spite of the MSM’s efforts to suppress them. Unfortunately for this republic, many of his opinions seem to be shared by the president who hired him, and I fear we’ll pay a high price for the folly of the 52.6% of the voters who placed him in that position.
It is typical of lefties like Mr Muskogee that they would like to shut down voices like Limbaugh, who uses the facts about people like this to show who and what they are. Wonder why he didn’t mention Glenn Beck, who seems to have been instrumental in this result?
If Rush Limbaugh was plucked from a right-wing, anti-American, lunatic fringe “movement” which defends cop killers, advocates racial hatred, and calls for the destruction of capitalism, to work in the White House as an unaccountable “Czar” who would handle and distribute billions of taxpayer dollars, you would have a great point. I would definitely be against that simply because Limbaugh is a polarizing figure. However, no one has refuted the accusations against Van Jones because they can’t. He is on tape saying stupid things, admitting his communist leanings and railing against the “white man” for every ill in society. He is s racist, pure and simple. He is impossible to defend, or else Mr. Obama would be out there defending him. Instead, as most liberals and leftists do, Van Jones became expendable for the “cause.” Obama let him twist in the wind for a while and then had someone call him and tell him to resign for the good of the party and Obama’s future. Van Jones was not a casualty; he was a sacrifice to the leftist agenda.
Jones landed on his feet over at the lefty think tank founded by John Podesta, Center for American Progress. As long as you’re a communist or socialist, they will take anybody. I expect Hugo Chavez to land there once his commie butt is kicked out of Venezuela. So don’t cry for him. He is what he is: a racist left-wing lunatic who hates anyone who does not look like him or think like him. He’s bad for America
I recently read that what will drag the MSM down is their refusal to acknowledge their biases. Whereas Rush and Beck and similar pundits are unreserved in their own acknowledgment of bias, folks at the NYT and WaPo simply hide behind their own self-created fig leaf of impartiality that pretty much anyone can see is phony. It’s this refusal to acknowledge the obvious that’s going to kill them off, and they’ll have only themselves to blame.
Knowing what Obama has done to date and adding in his arrogance I expect he’ll appoint Jones as the publications czar.
Seeing what Obama has done to date and adding in his arrogance he’ll probably name Jones as a czar for the publishing industry.
The L.A. Times Sunday edition, September 6, 2009, placed the Van Jones story on PAGE 19. It got about three tiny paragraphs in a narrow column. My guess – it was less than 150 words.
I love his explanation for resigning, that the right had run a smear campaign against him. I didn’t realize that quoting someone’s own speeches equated to smear against that person.
It’s deja-vu all over again!
After a card-carrying MSM member (Newsweek magazine) spiked the Lewinsky story, Matt Drudge got it, broke it, and his career was made. In an interview with Larry King, she mentioned first seeing the story in Drudge, and King dismissively said, “Nobody reads that.”
Looks like the MSM is making the same mistake about Glenn Beck–convincing themselves that because they don’t like him, nobody but fringe nut cases listen to him. My Aunt called the other day to ask about something. After we figured out what she needed to know, she asked my opinion about the current political landscape, and whether I’d heard the things Glenn Beck has been saying.
Here we go again.
The Paper of record sure didn’t let Sarah off so easy. The book of adjectives came out of the top drawer when she decided it was not worth it.
Mr. Goldberg Sir,
Thank you yet again for another salient, satisfying read. Whether it be one of your books or another blog/column, I always find them quite informative and enjoyable.
I was wondering, though, if you might be willing to give us your opinion about what might (or perhaps will) happen when, in the near future, the Mainstream Media starts to gasp its last dying breaths…in greater detail than you have in the past, I mean.
Will they go down defiant to the very last…steadfastly denying any “so-called” Liberal bias?
Or will they have their proverbial “come to Jesus” moment and maybe….just maybe…finally admit that something was rotten in their hallowed halls.
What’s more, I’d like to hear your opinion on where the future of journalism should go when said MSM collapse does finally happen (as I believe it will).
Should the industry rebuild itself, reinforced with safeguards to hopefully ensure that such egregious bias never infects the so-called Fourth Estate?
Or should the old ways be discarded, in favor of the so-called New Media…whatever that may be?
I respect your opinion, Sir, and would really like to hear what you have to say on the subject.
Thanks again.
The MSM will not admit its liberal bias … certainly not as one of the reasons for their demise. There will be no Coming to Jesus Moment for these people. Instead, they will blame their critics. The New Republic has already done just that. In an article entitled MSM, RIP the magazine said critics — they even mentioned me by name — have poisoned the well and that’s why their credibility is in tatters. They are clueless. As for what comes next: we don’t ride around in buggies anymore and we seem to be doing just fine. Let’s see where we go. The Web, for me, is a scary place filled with good stuff and very bad stuff. Fasten your seat belt, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
I love Bernie and agree with almost all of what he says. But, Bernie, why no mention that Glenn Beck was the first person to bring out the views and activities of Van Jones ? In fact he exposed several of the czars on his t.v. show a week or so ago. This has made him some high powered enemies. I hope there is no rancor between the two of you, as you are on the same side. However, I thought I heard you make an unflattering reference to Beck, not by name, on O’Reilly recently. I wondered if anyone else feels the same way ? We need to work together to find and expose the truth.
I have a book called: War in Korea and the complete History of World War 11. This book talks about when Hitler first acquired some power. They(Hitler) used the media. 1st step either quit reporting the truth or lie. Look at the America media. Thank God for Fox. Thank God for you Bernie…
Obama has underestimated the heart of America. We are a proud nation, we earned the right to be proud with our accomplishments and good deeds through out the world. Our Men and Women have served our Country and some gave their lives. They have not died in vain. We the People will prevail.
God Bless America.
I used to watch CBS Evening news years ago…..little by little I became aware of their bias towards conservative views…..Hopefully, advertisers will start to see that more people are paying attention to alternative media and their dollars will shift to the media that people feel is more objective. This still will take years….but the trend will continue ….until the day that mainstream media stockholders, executives etc….recognize their own suicidal behavior.
Sadly, it is likely that most in the mainstream media agree with Van Jones – and they would rather lose the audience of independent thinkers than supply any aid and comfort to their enemies (any opponent of the current President)….and merely reporting on criticism of the “Magical One”, the Annointed One, the Obamination…..is forbidden. Any self respecting journalist would run from such organizations. There seems to be few self respecting journalists left….and except for the alternative media….it does appear that true journalism is dead.
Standard rule of measurement on Liberals and it gets truer as the Liberals get more radical. They have no courage, no true conviction, no sense of independence, no sense of teamwork. All Liberalism turns out to be is a “What’s in it for me?” movement that sets up a few power elites while pretending to work for the average Joe.
Van Joens made a great example of what happens to Liberals when the truth gets dropped on them like a load of bricks. They turn tail and run, while pointing fingers at everyone else and accepting no responsibility for their actions.
Ya know.. Liberalism is starting to sound like a mental illness…
B.O. is a product of affirmative action from an ivy league school same as Van Jones.
Excelent article. Right to the point. I unsubscribed to the NYT some years ago after I realized what his agenda was.
Bernie, think about it. it’s the New York Times. What do you expect. Remember the 60 some headline stories about Abu Ghraib. If it doesn’t fit their ideological template, it’s not going to run….http://cooperscopy.blogspot.com/
Bernie…as always you hit the nail on the head and bury it an inch deep.
Just like the Rev. Wright cover up. The Rezko cover up. The Ayers cover up, etc.
Shielding “the One” has been the downfall and newly or increased disdain for:
the Old MSM
the unions
the Democrats
Hollywood
Congress
Obama
SEIU
ACORN
Black Panthers
AAARP
…
anyone and everyone associated with the Democrats and Obama.
Good going MSNBC, NY Times, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, WaPo, HuffPo, et al. You’re taking your own man down, including yourselves.
Mr. Goldberg,
Wassn’t it your good friend who publicised a National Guard record of George Bush that showed he had gone into the National Guard to avoid going to Vietnam? Since this you have made it know that there is no love lost between yourself and Dan rather who, if I am not mistaken was the one who greatly publicised those records of George Bush’s military service in an effort to discredit him along with just about everyone else in the liberal media! So, in light of this, one would think that you would definitly be in favor of demanding that the “Cretan Idiot” in the White House come clean with the American people For Once and produce his long form Birth Certificate! Isn’t it obvious that when one goes to such lengths as to spend approaching two million dollars to HIDE what would be in most cases a rather insignificant document, that he apparently has SOMETHING to hide?!? I don’t know about you Mr. Goldberg, but the writing on the wall is rather obvious to me! THE MAN IS NOTHING BUT A TWO BIT CROOK THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED NATIONALLY AS BEING THE LIAR HE IS AND IMPEACHED AND THROWN INTO PRISON! Radical, you bet! And it is about time a lot more of us get radical or this country is going to be history!!!
All attention is placed on the Van Jones non-answer to a very relevant question: why can’t we (meaning the leftists) ram-rod our policy through Congress since we control all branches of government well OK just 2.5 branches? Van Jones had to make a joke answer because the question itself was an embarrassment and could not be answered honestly and seriously. Imagine someone asking Ike why the Allies couldn’t cross the Rhine River in WWII and Ike said because the guys on the other side were a-holes. Jones knew he had to go because his answer threw the spot light onto the Obama problem with the use of the Atomic Solution meaning to exercising steam-roller power in this nation. The steam-rolled push back harder.
Bernie, I agree with your article in every area except where you talk with disdain about so called birthers. I would love to believe that Obama was and is eligible to serve as president of the united states. Unfortunately he has spent north of 1 million dollars to keep such a simple document that everyday citizens must provide for all types of day to day proof of identity. For those that claim he has answered this with the document posted and since taken down which showed a copy of an at best questionable bonifide that even if original did not meet the criteria needed to provide proof of natural born status it boggles the mind how people of intellect would buy into it as acceptable. The congress investigated McCains eligibility but refuse to give the same attention to Obama. He could clear this up with simply producing an authenticated long form birth certificate which would kill the controversy in a second but instead he stonewalls and bullies those attempting to gain access to that document. This is what makes me and hundreds of thousands have doubt. That and the fact that those that should be demanding production of proof in the media and in congress dismiss this as a lunatic fringe movement. Wake Up-as my momma told me where there is smoke there is likely to be fire
History has shown that conspiracies such as JFK, 9/11, UFO’s, Big Foot, and all the others grow each time more documentation is released. And the Truthers, birthers, conspiracy theorist, or what ever you wish to call them, have also demonstrated through history that after documents are released, they always want more. Why? Because they can never accept logical scientific conclusions. So if you believe this will dissapear with Obama releasing this document, you’re living in a dream.
why isn’t anyone reporting about Keith Ellison, the muslim congressman hand picked by Obama and Rham E. who took his oath of office with his hand on the koran?? This guy also rants about 9/11 being an inside job so we could go to war with Islam. How about Obama’s own words in his book where he said he would stand with the muslims if the political winds shift in an ugly direction–how did this traitor get to be president???
An old communist friend of mine from the fallen Soviet Union told me years ago that in the U.S. if a tree falls and no one was there to hear it, the question if a sound was made, or not, is philosophical. But in the Soviet Union it is not a question at all. The answer is based upon what the communist politburo reports or doesn’t report. Fortunately we have a few journalists in this country that still report on what they hear and see. And fortunately they heard the thump Van Jones made when he hit the ground.
Van Jones is just another criminal thug in a long list of criminal thugs that IS the Obama administration. I live in Chicago and have watched Obama climb the political ladder here in break-neck speed, ultimately ending up in the White House.
The birthers have a legit beef. I do feel that the American electorate HAS the right to see a legit document PROVING he is who he claims to be. Nothing crazy about that.
Now, as for the 9/11 Truthers… I thought they were all fringe kooks – until I began to investigate ALL the evidence. While I saw planes hit the twin towers, and watched as they collapsed, the events leading up to that day of infamy have NOT been investigated in the MSM to any degree… There are many details that were never reported along with physics of what happened to those towers AND building 7 – which just imploded at 5:30 in the afternoon for no real reason… I think 9/11 needs to be investigated by a NON-Political resource… What would be found would shock all of us.
You are an ignorant idiot.
That building collapsed because of the burning debris from the two towers.
Really JJ…
You are the uninformed idiot. Steel structures dont implode at nearly free fall speed from fires on 2 floors. Even the building owner admits that the building was “pulled”. Do your homework. Do you have an architectural engineering degree?
At no time either BEFORE or AFTER 9/11 have structured steel framed building fallen from simple fire.
You are a blind fool… You lap up the spoon-fed propaganda like ice cream don’t you..
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B558072304E08A2E
Watch and learn – moron
I cannot believe this is still being debated…if you had an ounce of common sense with just a bit of knowledge you would understand that the jets crashing into the towers created so much energy and force that fire proof surrounding on the steel beams was blown exposing the beams. This exposure caused the beams to become weak by a fire burning 1000 degrees less than they had been built to withstand.
By the way…Santa really does travel around the world to visit all good little boys and girls…get real.
Not a simple fire. JET FUEL. There have been several experiments doning validating the extreme heat this causes.
Ask yourself the simple question: How many people would have to be involved in a 9/11 conspirancy? Including those who placed explosives throughout the buildings? 15, 20, 50, 100? Now how many people in your life have actually kept something you confided to themselves? Probably zero. Unreal. You have to be completely mental to think that any more than two people can keep a secret -not to mention one of this magnitude. These people are so empty that it gives their pitiful lives meaning.
Yes really Phoenix. It was Bush wasn’t it?
Here is another simple fire. Gasoline truck burns the bridge down.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/29/BAGVOPHQU46.DTL
Bet it was Bush again.
jj
I saw a show on A&E or The Discovery Channel that systematically made the 9/11 Truther out to be complete idiots. They interviewed engineers and physicists who could explain EVERYTHING. Phoenix, get your head out of your ass. Only mental midgits believe what you believe.
Toms Brokaw and Friedman both described the internet as an open sewer, untreated, and unfiltered information on Sunday’s MTP.
The most hilarious part was that it’s the unedited videos of Van Johnson and his writings, in books, not just the internet, that brought him down. His philosophy brought him down. Not his race, not even that much his past.
You know what else is on the internet Tom? All of your writings. Which are going to be your downfall too. The majority of Americans don’t agree with you. They don’t agree with your agenda. Or your philosophy.
And speaking of agendas – what exactly is Tom Brokaw’s definition of “retirement”. Get off the stage already.
Poor Van Johnson. Even from the grave he must be appalled at being mistaken for the slime ball that Obama appointed.
Truthers, Birthers – whether we like it or not – their existence is because we have freedom of speech. There would be no Truthers or Birthers if Putin is in charge of the show. I am glad the Green Czar resigned, although I find the text of his resignation arrogant and offensive – but he is free to say it either way.
About Obama BC – imagine there is a document in the National Archives that is worth one million dollars. Wouldn’t you like to take a peak at that paper?
I believe Obama was born in Hawaii, still I would like to see his birth certificate – it is a precious document. Obama spent over million of dollars not to show it. It is a natural curiosity – my desire to see this expensive piece of paper. I am naturalized American. I treasure my citizenship paper. I was born in communist at the time Eastern Europe. Forgive my English. My little one started kindergarten last week. The school required a certified copy of the kids birth certificate. I went to the public record office and got one. It is about attending the Kindergarten in NC. Obama is the President – what is good for a kindergartner – should be good for him – just show the paper – I am always proud to show mine citizenship certificate.
Welcome to the rowdy rough and tumble world of American politics. It’s not usually this insane, but enough people are waking up now. We might even get to restore a few things to the level out founders intended, but it’ll be a hard, rough, road to restore the Constitution to its proper place and lock DC back into its box.
Good job getting your citizenship here the right way! Welcome home.
Thanks for the kind words. I finished high school in the USSR and witnessed the crash of communism. It was fascinating. Gorbachev declared Glasnost – suddenly ideas that were foreign to the system became acceptable – and day after day – those ideas crashed the system. Words do matter. Obama is doing just that – suddenly Chavez or rev Wright are thrown at us like they are acceptable personages. Day after day – Obama’s socialist agenda is eroding our freedom. Nobody is talking about the fact that high value detainees are now being interrogated not by CIA, but by Dept of National security. Do you know what KGB mean? Department of National Security. Next thing Obama will decide who is high priority to be interrogated by nobody knows who – nobody knows where.
I’m afraid that since you disclosed where you were born, YOU are now part of the conspiracy. Can you prove that you were born in Eastern Europe? Why, all sorts of people who were really agents of Stalinist Russia say they were born somewhere else – its all part of the grand plot.
Sorry, I’m just playing with you.
The Birthers and Truthers live in a world of their own – like a marijuana-filled bubble. They all gather around and tell tall tails and try to come to some conclusion – usually the most wild and crazy one. I’m afraid as long as nature produces people who have a screw loose, there will be others with the same affliction with whom to associate. Take liberals for instance. Like Oliver Stone, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, and assorted others who dwell in the hills and canyons of Beverly Hills or Malibu, everyone else is nuts except them and their like-minded friends. Its like a Seinfeld episode where Jerry,, Kramer and George are suddenly thrust into middle America and they just can’t figure out why all the townsfolk are happy. What, no “Soup Nazi” or crazy neighbors? How can you live like this? Way too wholesome and “hicksville.” No yellow cabs and honking horns? Liberals are the same. When they get out of their “habitat” of limos, autograph seekers, VIP treatment and delux suits at the Beverly Hilton, they are puzzled and confused.
Birthers will never accept a rational explanation. Why, the more rational the explanation, the more they are suspicious. Same with the JFK conspiracy and the 9/11 conspiracy. It’s not going away anytime soon – even after Obama’s “long form” birth certificate is located.
Great article Bernie,
The traditional msm in this country have become so full of themselves that they are becoming the Baghdad Bob’s of the progressive statist movement and are too blinded by the agenda to see it. These people have their heads so deep in the sand that they seem to think that they can dictate what reality is and that if they do not cover a story then it can’t really be news… Well surprise!!!!
While Mr. Goldberg is a favorite, and one usually endorses 99% of what he observes, one wonders why he calls “the birthers” “bad.”
The people who wackily blame President Bush for 9/11 are certifiable loons, deeply out of touch with reality, hardened cases of America-hate, such as cloud cuckoo-land Janeanne Garafolo and suchlike unlettered fools without eyes to see or ears to hear reality.
But those who have tried, without success, to elicit even a medical record of this president, or a transcript of any of his grades from undergraduate, law school or high school, including a legitimate copy of his birth certificate, have not done anything insane, nor are they responsible for promulgating anything damaging to the country, the way radical Communist video’ed-racist Van Jones and his cabal are.
The derangement that permits people to incite hatred for a deeply sincere man and his administration–we speak of George Bush and his elected and appointed aides–somehow does not translate to coverage of those who correctly question every shred of fictional biography proffered by this new president.
No: Bush haters, even those who made films advocating murdering him (!), and those who repulsively littered the streets outside the White House and President Bush’es home in Texas trying to protest his decency and policies aimed at guarding this country, were given a breezy pass, and colluded with by the late-night comics and the daylight journalist/disinformationists.
It is not bad to seek vetting for this dangerously powerful man. Thus far, his background is a miasma of mystery (if that is not too poetic for so darkly guarded a secret life as Obama has engineered for himself, and now pays a reputed 6-figure sum to keep embargoed from curious Americans). We know, really, nothing of his Chicago machinations, his educational achievements and so-called scholarships, his trip to Pakistan in 1981, when his passport–IF AMERICAN–would not have been allowed to this forbidden venue (at the time), his skeevy kin and outreach contacts among our national enemies, and his many dubious affiliations, other than those bruited by FNC and talk radio.
So my cavil is Why pillory people seeking information about the least transparent president we have had in recorded memory? Why call such decent people “bad”? Calling the numbskulls who bivouac their brains in calling President Bush names and blaming him for the destruction and death of Osama minions from Egypt and Saudi Arabia is fair game. And you rightly call them down.
Calling decent Americans who are just frightened at the baggage and perturbing subterfuges of this inexperienced rookie leftwing enigma with a mouth names is not acceptable, Bernard, much as we love you for calling out the usual scoundrels, Dan Rather and the rasher of regular ruffians running the show in Washington today.
So a qualified huzzah for this column.
Next time, leave out the insults for people who do not deserve your contumely, sir. Confine that correct outrage to those who merit it.
Great piece, the MSM does not want the American people know how far left the Obama adm is. We should always question our Government no matter who is in charge. Bernie thanks for being fair and keep the powers that be in check no matter if it is Dems or Reps.
Nick Iezzi
Great article, Bernie, always appreciate your well written opinions.
Even though the MSM is loosing their power and revenue, most likely due to their biased reporting, this current government will be there to bail them out. Too Big To Fail will become their excuse. They will not allow their mouthpiece to fail.
Jim has a good point – with more and more companies under Big Government control, GM, the Bailout Banks, and all the others on Obamas takeover list will continue to advertise on the MSM just to keep them propped up, even if they only have two viewers each. And them buy them outright with borrowed taxpayer funds if that is not enough. Mark Lloyd’s FCC will see to it.
What about all the other czars he has? Is he building his own govt. all these czars don’t go through the congress or senate for approval so we are represented when Obama can bring in anyone he wants. This is unconstitutional and should be stopped. We are in debt and govt needs to curb spending instead Obama puts 36 more people on the payroll. Obama is expanding govt. he wants to get it to where he doesn’t need the senate or the congress and this is without a doubt a TAKE OVER, and look what he did for Soros he give 2 billion of our tax dollars to Brazil to drill because Soros has an investment there. We need to drill in America it would create many jobs for Americans but we don’t drill here? This President does not want to creage jobs rather he wants unemployment to better control the people. He is going to take this country all the way down and then raise up a new country Obama’s country and he must be stopped or America won’t be America as we all know it anymore.
Congress has already made themselves irrelevant……..they’re just too stupid to know it.
For your continued edification, here is a list of Czar Obama’s Kommissars (as I prefer to denote them), what they make, and what is known about them: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/29391/?ck=1
Harlz, this is great information to keep around as a reminder of who has jobs in the White House.
One more time————”We are living under a tyranny of untruth which confirms itself in power and establishes a more and more total control over men in proportion as they convince themselves they are resisting error.
Our submission to plausible and useful lies involves us in greater and more obvious contradictions, and to hide these from ourselves we need greater and ever less plausible lies. The basic falsehood is the lie that we are totally dedicated to truth in a manner what is at the same time honest and exclusive; that we have the monopoly of all truth, just as our adversary of the moment has the monopoly of all error.
We then convince ourselves that we cannot preserve our purity of vision and our inner sincerity if we enter into dialogue with the enemy, for he will corrupt us with his error. We believe, finally, that truth cannot be preserved except by the destruction of the enemy – for, since we have identified him with error, to destroy him is to destroy error. The adversary, of course, has exactly the same thoughts about us and exactly the same basic policy by which he defends the “truth.” He has identified us with dishonesty, insincerity, and untruth. He believes that, if we are destroyed, nothing will be left but truth.”
Thomas Merton
Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander
New York: Doubleday, 1966
One thing is certain: the humility of faith, if it is followed by the proper consequences – by the acceptance of the work and sacrifice demanded by our providential task – will do far more to launch us into the full current of historical reality than the pompous rationalizations of politicians who think they are somehow the directors and manipulators of history. Politicians may indeed make history, but the meaning of what they are making turns out, inexorably, to have been something in a language they willl never understand, which contradicts their own programs, and turns all their achievements into an absurd parody of their promises and ideals.”
Thus goeth the bailouts………
Mike Binder
Nanakuli, Hawaii
Excerpt from “Contemplative Prayer” , Thomas Merton, An Image Book, pps 112-113, pulished June 1996.
Bernie Goldberg’s,”The Inside Job That Will Finish Them Off” http://bit.ly/JJST4
Bernie, caught you on FOX; would you like to be our writer?
Property Of All Patriotic website
We’ll do the digging for you, and you write about it.
our site should be flying sooner, rather than later.
Take a look at four months of my work, and this is just scratching the surface;
http://bit.ly/SUA
http://bit.ly/SY4TD
gives us a chance to help you help us. tell us what you want to write about, and we’ll also let you know our priorities, which can change in a momments notice, depending.
thanks,
SeniorBuzz
Gee the next thing ya know we might be told that a former Democrat VP candidate and good family man with a sick wife had a baby out of wed lock or something …Headline: Democrat Babies are so Cute !
There once was a green czar named Jones,
Who ranted in radical tones.
He was chosen by Barry,
Who wasn’t unwary,
Now the leftist president moans.
The New York times and MSM in general are like overprotective parents, shielding their little Barry from anything which might lead to scrutiny or criticism.
Was Obama not concerned about giving a job to a known communist? If not, have they placed radical muslims in key posts? Is there no radical bad even to be found unacceptable to this administration?
Bernie, good article. You left quite a bit out of Van Jones history, though.
I think the straw that broke the camel’s back were the racist comments he made about whites poisoning minorities and spraying ‘toxics’ on immigrants, (not to mention his “You’ve never seen a Columbine done by a black child”, comment).
Then, on Friday, an anti-Isreali CD that Van Jones produced was discovered featuring Van Jones himself and cop-killer Mumia abu-Jamal.
And don’t forget WarTimes an “anti-war on al-Qaeda” propaganda newspaper Jones helped organize.
You only touched the tip of the Van Jones iceberg, Bernie.
How did Jone’s anti-Israel stance get past Rahm Emmanu-el, who apparently holds dual citizenship with Israel, and who volunteered with the Israeli army? This must mean that Michelle and Valerie Jerritt have more WH clout than Rahm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel did not serve in the Israeli Army. He did volunteer work with a civilian organization which works with the IDF, but is not part of it.
Obviously, the MSM is covering for Obama and working hard to hide his radical agenda from the American public. It is so obvious what they–the MSM–are up to that it would be silly for them to deny the coverup. Blatant, and calculated.
My concern is, how much damage can Obama do as long as the MSM is in coverup mode? Should we be concerned? I think so. Obama, with the help of the MSM is carrying out a hideous agenda to socialize America right under our noses.
America, I believe, is waking up and beginning to ask questions. MSM outlets like the New York Times must understand that overnight they could find themselves in real trouble. If the sleeping giant awakens further we could find a nation in full revolution and coming after the supporters of that revolution, and that means most MSM will be a primary target.
Bernie – if the birthers are a fringe movement, why are there so many Republican Congressmen and women signed on? Next thing I know you will be calling all your colleagues at Fox News names when they tell the truth about the death panels and concentration camps.
Greg,
To answer your stupid question; the Republican congressmen and women are not in office, they’ve been voted out. That’s what we do with nut cases. The problem is, there are so many we have to get them one by one. Why don’t you focus your brain power on the background of the 27 Czars that have been let in without vetting, without press, without anyone’s approval but Obamas. Does that not bother you? Or do you have to change the subject and bring up the other idiot George Bush? Because if Bush would have had 1 Czar you commies would be foaming at the mouth. They’re ALL scumbags. Don’t think this coin is one sided, put down the kool aid and use your brain.
Rick, watch who you call stupid, when, in fact, Bill Posey has introduced a bill, co-sponsored by 11 fellow Republicans, requiring original, long form birth certificates for the next election. You don’t vote them out, you embrace them because they do the dirty work.
Do you remember Reagan’s Drug Czar? or the several dozen other ‘czars” who were appointed between Reagan, Bush41, Clinton and Bush 43, without vetting and without Senate approval?
Are you going to tell me about Cass Sunstein’s plot to harvest your organs as one of Obama’s czars because he wrote that doctors should not assume that no donor markings on a drivers license means that the decedent and his/her family were against donating?
Beck is a paranoid who get good ratings through theater and Bernie is capitalist who sees a lot of simple minds and gets them to buy his books.
My brain power is better used by analyzing policy, not personalities.
Greg, perhaps you would like to explain to those of us who you sedm toview as intellectually inferior why Obama has refused do release such simple things as his university transcripts, something Clinton did?
Can I handle a Czar or two? Sure, but over thirty and all having power to make policy that Jones did?
I would also like to know how much time you have spent reading Cass Sunstein’s writings or even the writings of Ezekiel Emanuel? I doubt you devoted as much time to that endeavor as you did to your two posts here.
That is the problem with lemmings such as yourself. You are simply reduced to DailyKos talking points because you don’t invest the time to check out claims for yourself.
Obama said during the campaign tojudge him by the company he keeps. He condemned himself with those words because the company he seems to be keeping is radical, radical, radical.
The MSM shoild hang their heads in shame. They were scooped by bloggers.
The other two that responded to you made valid and correct points. Are you going to come back with a decent reply or that drive-by name-calling rant all you are good for?
I am one of the so-called ‘Birthers’. I don’t know when he was born, where he was born, or even who Obama’s parents are. All we are asking is for Obama to release his long form birth certificate which hopefully will clear this up. McCain provided proof. Why not Obama?
“I don’t know when he was born, where he was born,…”
Or even IF he was born.
It was a virgin birth and a star appeared over the hut in Zaire. Three wise men from the USSR brought gifts while Nixon ordered all male babies put out of the way.
Well, it wasn’t a secret to most of us that the Green Job Czar was “unsustainable”. We managed to eek out the news despite the MSM’s best efforts. Ordinary Americans are building a dam in the mainstream – with roaring waters as a result. You’d think the NYT, and the formerly “Big 3″ TV news networks would be swimming for a fish ladder. They might just drown along the way.
Great Article. I have been huge fan of your too. I have come to the conclusion that this incident will now push the legislation of localism and fairness doctrine through in record pace. The administration knows we have woken up and are tuning in to our conservative radio programs and fox news reports. I can only imagine Glen Beck is on their”off”list. We must be every so vigilant everyday now as more Czars backgrounds are exposed and the ties to Obama are from the umbilical cord. Any one person in this country who believes Obama doesn’t have deep ties to communist propaganda needs to look at the white house on Sept 20,2009 when he will allow the communist Chinese flag to go up.
You know I’ve been following this story for weeks and was flabberghasted as to how the MSM was covering it….. which was not at all. I can’t believe they are so far in the tank as to turn a blind eye. They really aren’t journalist anymore are they? Just pom pom toting cheerleaders for whatever comes out of Barach Obama’s mouth. I find it embarssing beyond belief. I got a particular kick out of the loud mouth radical turned scared mouse. These guys are all bluster. Anyway, good ridence. One down about about 3 more dozen to go. What county am I living in? I sometimes wonder. Great article, Bernie….. I’m a huge fan of yours. Keep up the good fight.