Faux News cries foul

The Faux News Democratic Presidential Debate has been cancelled.

Why? Well, Fox has been known to blatantly lie. They are a blatant mouthpiece for the Bush Administration. They hardly qualify as a journalism establishment.

Anyway, this guy (Roger Ailes) makes offensive jokes and drones on pathetically. Notice how his face shakes as he talks; I wonder why so many top Republicans resemble “Jabba The Hut”.

By the way, kudos to John Edwards for coming to Senator Obama’s defense.

You may have heard by now that John Edwards was the first candidate to officially say no to the Fox News debate in Nevada — and because of the hard work of so many grassroots and netroots Democrats, news is breaking tonight that Fox is out.

Fox has already started striking backat John for saying no. (There’s a surprise – Fox attacking a Democrat.) Last night, Roger Ailes – the life-long Republican operative who is now Chairman of Fox News Channel – said that any candidate “who believes he can blacklist any news organization is making a terrible mistake” and “is impeding freedom of speech and free press.”

And John’s not their only target. Tonight Fox News Vice President David Rhodes is telling news organizations not to get involved in the Nevada Democratic Caucus because of “radical fringe” groups – meaning grassroots Democrats (that would be you) – who objected to Fox’s long history of spreading Republican propaganda at the expense of Democratic leaders.

The whole right-wing is getting in on the attack; the Drudge Report is blaring the headline: “War! Dems Pull Out of Fox News Debate.”

Enough is enough. It’s time to send a clear message to Fox News and their allies that their right-wing talking points and temper tantrums won’t go unchallenged anymore – when it comes to what Democrats should do in the Democratic primary, we’ll decide – no matter what they report:

https://johnedwards.com/…

Fox News has already proven they have no intention of providing “fair and balanced” coverage of any Democrat in this election.

In recent weeks they have run blatant lies about Senator Obama’s background. And Fox was only too happy to give Ann Coulter a platform to spew more hate a few days after her bigoted attack on Senator Edwards and the gay community.

Now it’s time for Democrats to stand together and send a clear message to Roger Ailes, Fox News and all the rest of them: bias isn’t balance, but turning tables is fair.

The truth is, Fox News can “report” whatever they want. And when it works for us, we’ll deal with them on our terms. But this campaign is about responsibility and accountability, and we need to send the message to Fox that if they want to be the corporate mouthpiece of the Republican Party more than they want to be an impartial news outlet, they shouldn’t expect Democrats to play along.

You can send that message by contributing today, and remind Fox News that in this election, Democrats won’t take their spin lying down:
https://johnedwards.com/…

Thank you for standing up for what we believe in.

Jonathan Prince
Deputy Campaign Manager
Edwards for President

P.S. If the folks at Fox wonder why nobody thinks they play it straight, they should take a look at what Roger Ailes said about debates in 1988 when he was a top Republican spinmaster for then Vice President Bush: He
told the Washington Post, “I don’t know that we need to do more than one [debate]. There’s no reason to think we’d need more than one.” And he told the New York Times, “I don’t think you learn anything about the
issues” from debates. So please send Roger Ailes a message: Hypocrisy isn’t fair and it isn’t balanced; it’s just hypocrisy – and we’ve had enough of it from you.

I am glad that our candidates are developing a backbone.

And kudos to Kos for standing up to the concern trolls.

What I’m learning in the aftermath of the decision to ditch the Fox News debate is that the only thing conservatives want is for Democrats to effectively get the message out and attract new voters. Who knew?

Here I was, thinking that conservatives were standing in the way of the Democratic agenda, when in reality they’re doing everything they can to help us expand our majorities!

I would humbly suggest that in this new spirit of cooperation we’re seeing from conservatives, that they demonstrate some good will by wholeheartedly embracing the Pelosi/Reid agenda in Congress.

That simple and easy gesture would erode what skepticism I have left.

Giuliani is an Iraq war supporter; other topics, assorted silliness.

Workout notes two yoga classes; held headstand for 3:30. Then 12 minutes of “running” followed by walking back the same distance (19 minutes). I went from the Riverplex to the Gooseloop.

Unfortunately, the Monday 6:30 “power yoga” class has been cancelled. I’ll have to make time to practice on my own.

Politics
Giuliani: ok on many social issues, wrong on Iraq.

(hat tip to the dependable renegade)

Giuliani has the early lead in the Republic Party race, and a slight lead in the overall race (Democratic Party results) . However, I wonder if Republican primary voters know about his stances on social issues (which are ok with me)

So, why would this bother me? Mostly, it is because Giuliani supports President Bush’s failed Iraq policy.

In every speech he makes, Rudolph W. Giuliani talks about Iraq and makes clear that he sides with President Bush, endorsing the war and the deployment of 21,500 more troops.

His chief rivals for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, Senator John McCain of Arizona and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, take the same stances. But in discussing the deployment of more troops, Mr. Giuliani has been alone in saying that such a strategy may not succeed, potentially providing him cover should the situation in Iraq deteriorate further. And he has put the strategy in a broader context that plays down the importance of Iraq.

Terrorists ”are going to continue to be at war with us, no matter what the outcome in Iraq,” Mr. Giuliani said recently in New Hampshire. The night before, he said that ”there are no sure things,” and that if the United States fails in Iraq, ”we have to be ready for that, too.” In California a few days later, speaking of ”the danger of focusing on Iraq too much,” he said that complete success there would not win the fight against terrorism, and that failure there would not lose it.

Most Republicans still back the president’s strategy, but over all, polls show, most Americans oppose the war and the troop increase. Political analysts say Mr. Giuliani and his rivals need to perform a difficult balancing act: avoid alienating pro-war voters to win the Republican nomination, then avoid alienating antiwar voters to win the presidency in a general election, and avoid taking the blame if the war continues to go badly.

”Giuliani may be in the best position of any of the Republican primary candidates on this because he uses very strong language in support of the war and its goals, but he doesn’t have to take simple up-or-down votes, like McCain does,” said Dan Schnur, a Republican political consultant who worked for Mr. McCain in 2000 but said he expected to sit out 2008. ”He can voice the same ambivalence the voters feel.”

Polls suggest that Mr. Giuliani, far more than Mr. Romney, has credibility on terrorism and national security questions, and he and his aides see it as a central part of his appeal. When he speaks of possible setbacks in Iraq and a long fight against terrorists, analysts say, Mr. Giuliani enhances that image, sounding tough but realistic.

”I think it’s an effective pitch,” said Charles R. Black Jr., a Republican consultant who is not involved in the 2008 campaign. ”The idea that the war on terror will go on for a generation plays to his strength.”

Note though, that Giuliani doesn’t appeal to any association with either Bush in his fundraising letter; rather he attempts to appeal to those who liked Ronald Reagan (who is mentioned twice; no other Republican is mentioned at all)

Dear Friend,

Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
My hero Ronald Reagan once said, “The future belongs to the free.” This statement captures what so many Americans admired about President Reagan – his optimistic leadership, his belief in building a better future, and his continued focus on freedom.

Today, as Republicans, we need to restore that optimistic spirit to our party and to the national political debate that is shaping the future of this great nation.

That’s why this past November, I took the important step of creating an exploratory committee.

I believe that the Republican Party is “The Party of Freedom.” At our best, we believe in giving people more control over their own lives. This principle runs through the policies that unite us as a party: keeping taxes low and cutting the size of government, finding market solutions to generational challenges such as entitlement reform, and increasing opportunity through education reforms like school choice.

Running for President is a responsibility that should be entered into after much thought and prayer, and with a strong base of support and commitment from my fellow citizens.

I’m humbled by early polls that show me leading the race nationally and in key primary states. I am ready for the tremendous amount of hard work that lies ahead to earn our party’s nomination, and I would count on the help from party leaders like you.

I am writing you today to ask for your show of support.

As one of our most dedicated Republicans, would you do me the honor of joining my team today by sending me your official Team Rudy Endorsement Form? Will you also show your support with a contribution of $50, $100, or $250 today? Your help would be a powerful sign of your support for my candidacy.

http://www.JoinRudy2008.com/TeamRudy/

When I look to the future, I see a country where citizens are confident that our nation is in control of its destiny. I see a country where citizens feel they have the right to live in freedom from fear. I see a country where citizens believe we will hand our nation to the generation better than it was handed to us. Because people who live in freedom have much more strength than people who live in oppression.

http://www.JoinRudy2008.com/TeamRudy/

That is the story of the Old Testament. That is the story of the Second World War. And that will be the history our generation writes when we win the War on Terror.

When I served in President Reagan’s Justice Department as Associate Attorney General, I learned the importance of optimistic leadership firsthand. I applied those lessons when I took on the mafia and corrupt politicians as U.S. Attorney and when I became Mayor of New York.

At the time, New York City was called “ungovernable” and paralyzed by high crime and city decay. I entered office as an optimist, confident that New York could be a shining city on a hill again.

We put common sense Republican ideas into action:

* Cutting crime and welfare in half.
* Cutting taxes and the size of bureaucracy.
* Turning a deficit into a multi-billion dollar surplus.
* Making it safe for families and businesses to invest their future in the neighborhoods of New York.

Most important, we restored a sense of optimism, a belief that our best days were still ahead.

http://www.JoinRudy2008.com/TeamRudy/

With the War on Terror now in its sixth year, I’m confident we will ultimately win because I’ve seen the strength of America up close. Since leaving City Hall, I have traveled to 46 states and campaigned for 170 Republican candidates across the nation. I’ve spoken to countless Americans, listening to their concerns and hopes for the future.

I understand many citizens are still troubled by the scandals in Washington, D.C. We need to give Americans fresh evidence that government can work again.

http://www.JoinRudy2008.com/TeamRudy/

As Mayor of New York, I determined the right strategies and executed them effectively, transforming the crime capital of the country into the “safest large city in America.” But the most important changes were not the statistics that showed we had safer, cleaner streets or an improved quality of life. What mattered most was the new sense of confidence and optimism.

That’s the kind of change the American people need to feel today.

As my exploratory committee moves forward, and I make my decision, I must know if I can count on your support. To join Team Rudy, send me your Official Team Rudy Endorsement Form today.

I look forward to hearing from you soon, and may God continue to bless America.

Giuliani’s social views are going to hurt him, as is the fact that he is on his third marriage. Yes, the latter shouldn’t matter, but it will matter to the religious right wing nut jobs.

More on Republicans

Coulter.
Evidently Coulter’s “Macaca moment” (using the word “faggot” to describe John Edwards) has come back to haunt her. Here column has been dropped by several newspapers. If you want to pressure papers to drop her column, you can find a list of papers which carry her columns here.

George Will’s whining is inaccurate: George Will whined that Republic party candidates were taken to task for switching positions, whereas Democratic Party candidates were praised as having “grown”. He somehow “forgot” how John Kerry was repeatedly slammed as a flip-flopper.

Other right wing lies: Libby was the only Bush administration offical convicted of a crime.

n a March 7 report on former vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s March 6 conviction by a federal jury, CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux asserted that “Libby is the only administration official to be convicted of a crime — lying during the CIA leak investigation.” In fact, since President Bush took office in 2001, several others in his administration have been convicted of criminal charges.

In fact, Mr. Libby has plenty of company:

* Lester Crawford, a former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to an October 17, 2006, Associated Press article, Crawford “abruptly resigned” from the FDA in September 2005 and pleaded guilty to charges of “conflict of interest and false reporting of information about stocks he owned in food, beverage and medical device companies he was in charge of regulating” in October 2006. According to the AP article, “[b]eginning in 2002, Crawford filed seven incorrect financial reports with a government ethics office and Congress, leading to the charges.”

* Brian J. Doyle, former deputy press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. On September 19, 2006, Doyle “pleaded no contest to seven counts of using a computer to seduce a child and 16 counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor,” according to The Ledger of Lakeland, Florida.

* Claude A. Allen, former assistant to the president for domestic policy. Allen resigned in February 2006 after a January 2006 police investigation concerning multiple fraudulent returns to a Target store in Gaithersburg, Maryland. On August 4, 2006, Allen pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor theft.

* David H. Safavian, a former chief of staff of the General Services Administration. Safavian was found guilty of lying and obstructing justice in June 2006. According to a June 21, 2006, article in The Washington Post, Safavian resigned “days before” his September 2005 arrest. The Post added that he “was convicted in U.S. District Court … of covering up his many efforts to assist [disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack] Abramoff in acquiring two properties controlled by the GSA, and also of concealing facts about a lavish weeklong golf trip he took with Abramoff to Scotland and London in the summer of 2002.”

* John T. Korsmo, former chairman of the Federal Housing Finance Board. On April 7, 2005, Korsmo “pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, which oversees the Finance Board, and the Inspector General for the Finance Board.” The Senate committee and inspector general were investigating Korsmo’s participation in an October 2002 congressional fundraising event.

Democrats

Fox Democratic News Debate. Senator Edwards had already said “no way”. Now Govenor Richardson says “no” too!

Way to go Governor Richardson!

New Obama Scandals!

All of these are from sources which wish to remain anonymous

• Little 2 year old Barack Obama once threw himself on the ground and threw a tantrum when he didn’t get to play with something he wanted to play with.
• 4 year old Barack Obama once didn’t want to eat his vegtables. Since he needed to “clean his plate” to get ice cream, he was reported to have fed his nasty cabbage to the family’s pet rabbit which was under the table at the time. Such duplicity!
• As a young man, one of his young lady friends once asked him: do these shorts make my butt look big? He reportedly said “no”. As you can see, that was untrue:
  When hearing of this, conservative columnist Ann Coulter reportedly said “only women and faggots would get asked a question like this.” An Obama campaign spokesman replied: “Mr. Obama actually said “those shorts don’t make your butt look big…”

Will these damning revelations never end????

Other assorted topics: some silly.

Blogger Dus 7 wrote a nice article about religion and how (or why) the need to have a religion could have evolved.

Blogger Fat Charlie responded to my disgustion photo of the result of my bike crash (note: what you are seeing is NOT “road rash”; it is a massive bruise which still hurts almost 5 months afterward)

He was disgusted at seeing my underwear, so he sent me this:

OMG….what did I do to deserve this photo? I’ll never make that mistake again!

Cold weather Running and Yoga
Do you think that you have good body control? Do you think that you handle the elements well? Then check this out.

MountEverest.net) In January this year, Wim Hof ran a half Marathon (21 km) above the polar circle in Finland. He wore only a pair of shorts and no shoes. The ground (snow) temperature was 35 below. In a few months time, he’ll try something similar on Everest’s north side. The expedition, led by Dutch Werner de Jong, will try to set a new world record as Wim attempts to climb parts of Everest wearing only shorts.

Everest altitude training: Hanging by middle finger between hot air balloons

This is not your regular stunt. Wim already has 9 world records, and has trained hard for many years to withstand cold, much like some monks do in Tibet.

Wim can actually regulate his core heat to control the temperature of his skin. Something of a medical enigma, Wim is able to withstand cold that could kill or seriously injure other people.

On Everest, Wim will also put to use his free style climbing skills – which he once demonstrated hanging between 2 hot air balloons by his middle finger at an altitude of 1500 meters. Once back inside the basket, Wim finished by climbing to the top of the balloon.

One of Wim’s world record attempts took him to the North Pole, where he held his breath for about 6 minutes and 20 seconds below the ice.

Mont Blanc preps

In preparation for Everest, Wim has already climbed Mont Blanc – in shorts.