Friday, August 20, 2004

Repeat a lie often enough...?

Unfriendly Fire - Liar vs. coward in the Vietnam ad war. By William Saletan and Jacob Weisberg

Ostensibly Slate's William Saletan and Jacob Weisberg are on opposite sides, but both condemn the Swiftboat Veterans' ad for its huge sleaze factor. However, while Saletan makes some points for the minor failings of the MoveOn PAC response ad, Weisberg correctly points out that MoveOn PAC's actions pale in comparison to the Swifties. The article is a bit long so if you are the type to just skim it, be sure to check out Saletan's listing of the Swifties' missteps.

But, since sleaze sells almost as well as sex, they're at it again. This election is certainly replete with lessons on the tricks one can pull with clever editing and half-truths parading as full ones. And here is an homage to Groucho's old "Have you stopped beating your wife?" trick:
"I do think that Senator Kerry losing his cool should not be an excuse for him to lash out at the president with false and baseless attacks," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters Friday.

Losing his cool? What are you talking about, Scott? Kerry has legitimately implied that the president's refusal to denounce the Swiftboat Vets' ads serves as a tacit endorsement. I remember hearing a news conference with McClellan repeatedly being asked if the prez would go on record denouncing those ads and all McClellan was allowed to say was that the white house would like to see an end to all soft money campaigns. He would repeat verbatim the same line over and over. I think I counted about five such responses in rapid succession.

But that may be telling in more ways than what Kerry hinted at ("...tells you everything you need to know..." about the president). I think that the true target of the GOP in using the Swifties is not just Kerry but MoveOn PAC and probably the Center for American Progress and Media Matters as well. This is one of the most secretive administrations in US history and information is finally getting out.

Folks are turning on the kitchen lights and cockroaches are complaining.

One Nation, Under Surveillance

File this under "It Took 'em Long Enough". The government has found a great way to circumvent those pesky civil liberties and that whole "due process"/supeona rigamorole: cash on the nail. Why jump through legal hoops to get 2 million names of, let's say, scuba divers when you could just buy the data outright? Brilliant. Who could possibly refuse to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, especially if there's money to be made? Some companies are actually figuring in the sale of their customer data as part of their business model.

Many of us who make up the 280 million suspects, I mean citizens, of this country feel that "Hey, I've done nothing wrong. I never would do anything against my country. What do I care if the government tracks my data?" Well, former Department of Justice attorney Mark Rasch, tells us that federal agencies such as the FBI could ultimately share the databases they've built with other nations as a good-will gesture in the international fight against terrorism.

"A lot of people will say, 'What do I care that the FBI knows I took scuba lessons. But would they want the Iranian police to know that?" he said. "What if an agency, to foster cooperation with other intelligence agencies, shares the data with (Russia), who then shares it with Iranian intelligence. Then, one day, you visit Iran and they follow you around, or they detain you at the border...."



MSNBC - Are private firms helping Big Brother too much

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Terror Alerts vs. Bush's Popularity

Well at least someone did the homework assignment! Back in July I suggested someone compile a comparative list of Bush's popularity numbers and "terror alert" warnings from the Department of Homeland Security. I had a suspicion--probably the same one shared by many of you readers out there--and, judging from the work done over on JuliusBlog, that suspicion is well-founded. I prefer the textual link rather than the graphic as it provides more detail as to the specific not-good-for-Bush news item that preceded the alert event. However, let's give Julius his props, the dude produced a data rich graphic that would make Edward Tufte smile.

Hannitizing the facts to advance one's agenda

The Doctored Clip Sean Hannity Doesn't Want You to Know About - Center for American Progress

Hannity is perhaps one of the worst offenders of this kind of thing, surpassing even O'Reilly. But that's a close call, don't you think?

Monday, August 16, 2004

Right Wing Squares

A "new media response" to the right-wing noise machine. Fun, sad, scary, and uplifting in a odd sort of way like seeing that you're not the only one to see that the emperor is nekkid. Check it out and maybe I can get a free t-shirt out the deal. After all, you don't want to see me nekkid.

From Bush "Unprecedented Negativity" -- washingtonpost.com

The article cited in the headline above (and here) comes from the Washington Post which, though sometimes accused of being part of the so-called liberal media, is generally a damn fine and respected paper. Here's one of my favorite quotes:

"Three-quarters of the ads aired by Bush's campaign have been attacks on Kerry. Bush so far has aired 49,050 negative ads in the top 100 markets, or 75 percent of his advertising. Kerry has run 13,336 negative ads -- or 27 percent of his total. The figures were compiled by The Washington Post using data from the Campaign Media Analysis Group of the top 100 U.S. markets. Both campaigns said the figures are accurate." [emphasis added]


The article is also critical of Kerry's misstatements about W but notes that the Bushies are not only far, far more negative but also far more WRONG or misleading. Well, I for one am shocked, shocked to discover such shennanigans coming from the Grand Old Party.

Electoral Math Aid

Track the swing states with this cool graphic updated with the latest polling info by the LA Times. Be sure to check out the roll-over features and the "See the 2000 Electoral Map" feature (located at the bottom-center of the page).

I see the Fat Lady waiting in the wings

Growing up I remember the Harris and the Gallup polls being trotted out by Brinkley and Cronkite and the like. Now it seems, the sci-fi sounding Zogby is the place to get your reliable poll data. That is where the DailyKos (scroll down to one of the first entries for Sunday, Aug 15) pointed me to find out that the Shrub's campaign is hurting. Look at W's numbers and he is behind Kerry in many key demos, tied where he should be strong, and showing an anemic lead where he should be trouncing Kerry. OK, so he hasn't had a chance for his convention "bump" to kick in yet. And what an oddly timed convention that is, too--the latest in the season ever.
There is a sea change out there. The Right has been too brazen with its power while the Left has learned that they no longer have to accept marginalization. Progressives are traditionally a lazy lot. They only seemed to get involved when the shit really hits the fan. Well the walls are pretty damn splotchy now and lefties are coming back. Meanwhile, that huge political behemoth The Center which has heretofore been romping about on the right side of the park cuz it felt good for awhile, is finally getting a peek at the man behind the curtain as the smoke and mirrors are blown away and smashed by the newly energized left.
Limbaugh & Company had us all kow-towed for so long. How many times have you seen (or been) someone who posited a progressive point of view only to be dismissed with a haughty "oh, a liberal" and then ignored? The word itself came to mean "not worthy of consideration". Somehow the Right had marginalized real political discussion until they achieved the one-party government (essentially, given GOP/neo-con control of all three branches) we have now.
But the Fat Lady is warming up. People are speaking out in the media and individually. And the House of Bush is begining to wilt.

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Political Fact Check site

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts."
Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Here's a potentially cool site backed by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. I found it by randomly following some other blogs. Let's keep an eye on this one, shall we?

Thursday, August 05, 2004

What democracy looks like?

Heard this story on Randi Rhodes' show (the woman is f-ing brilliant and funny) and, frankly, I just could not believe it. Had to google it out for myself and I believe I found the very story Randi was reading from. I'm telling you, I am not one for hyperbole outside of its humorous uses but this administration is starting to scare me. This one-party government is starting to look like another single-party government I remember whose steriod-inbued athletes would wear the "CCCP" on their hairy chests (and that was the women).

Check it out fer y'self: News-Leader.com | Opinions | Bush rally was sad day for democracy

In the spirit of integrity it should be noted that the writer is a member of the "Peace Network of the Ozarks" so one might assume a rather left-leaning slant. Still, it's the facts that scare me; no interpretation necessary.

Monday, August 02, 2004

"Go balloons! Go balloons!"

Gotta give a tip of the ostentatious fedora to ol' Matt Drudge. It appears he got it right at least as Missus Koko and I recall. We wanted to catch Kerry's speech and flipped the tube on to CNN. Kerry does his thing. The music comes up. Kerry starts making the rounds (wisely avoided the "white man dance-that-isn't-a-dance" routine) The balloons trickle down. And we hear this voice of a guy who seems to be in charge of the production. "Go balloons. Go balloons," he says. "Balloons balloons balloons." He's composing a Ginsbergesque ode to political hoopla and he doesn't seem to realize his mike is hot. Missus Koko and yours truly are laughing. As surely as you know that a wedding cake in any Fox Family movie will be destroyed by the dog chasing the cat, we knew that this guy was on his way to a serious FCC violation. And sure enough, within seconds of CNN identifying the voice as that of Don Mischer, DNC Convention Director, he starts to loose it. "Jesus! We need more balloons. I want all balloons to go, goddammit." Finally culminating with "All balloons, what the hell! There's nothing falling! What the fuck are you guys doing up there?" Oh, the beauty of live television. (Drudge has a tiny mp3 audio file of the incident)

As you can imagine, very shortly afterwards, Mr. Mischer's audio feed was cut and Wolf and Judy offered their tittering apologies. But when the cameras finally pulled back and pointed up to the ceiling from where the balloons were supposed to fall, you could see literally thousands of unreleased balloons. My God, I told Missus Koko, what the f--- are those guys doing up there? I had complete and utter sympathy for Mr. "Balloons" Mischer. No need to apologize, Don.

"What Liberal Media?"

With a nod to Eric Alterman, author of the book from which this post derives its title.

CNN is almost always the first or second example cited by the right to "prove" their claim of "liberal media bias". Why then, someone please tell me, did this bastion of liberal propaganda have Wolf Blitzer and George Will reporting and/or commentating on the Democratic nominee's speech (along with the ineffectual Judy Woodruff)? Those two were snarkily sniping at Kerry's speech even before the baloons trickled down. A truly liberal outlet would've had pundits glowing about how brilliant Kerry was, not how he glossed over his 20-year senate career and how his speech was lacking in specifics (as if an acceptance speech is on par with the State of the Union).

Liberal media? Puh-leeze! Not in the mainstream. You gotta go to Air America Radio and Democracy Now! (if you can find them in your town).

Kerry's acceptance speech: 8 out of 10

Missed the openning remarks but caught most of Kerry's acceptance speech. Overall I'd give him an eight out of ten, maybe eight and a half. He hit some good points; had some good lines. Most importantly I think he did a good job at reclaimingt/redefining issues previously co-opted by the GOP: flag, faith, and military response.

I would, however, ding Kerry a few points for incessantly harkening back to his wartime service. Yes, it is valid to mention and deserving of being honored but Kerry kept pulling out his uniform so often it began to appear as if he only served in the military in order to be elected. "Oh, and did I mention I am a war hero?" Secondly, while I like the reiterative "Help is on the way" line, the fact that it was on pre-preinted banners and placards cheapened it into crass show biz glitz.

Still in the end, I think the Dems are starting to give folks someone to vote for rather than just a candidate who is not Bush.