Our occasional linkfest of interesting posts from all over the Internet reflecting DIFFERENT viewpoints. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the always-perfect views of The Moderate Voice.
Is The Media Trying To Stir Up The Pot (figurative speaking) on the John Roberts Supreme Court nomination? Read Charging Rino’s post in full but here’s a key excerpt which refers to the flap about stories about Democratic demands to get more documents about Roberts:
The AP and Times stories of Sunday’s events serve as little more than bellows to fuel the smouldering ember of discord that the media and bitter partisans on both sides long to see erupt into a conflagration, a towering inferno of ‘supreme’ proportions.
We in the “reasonable center” have a duty here, as I see it. We’ve got to call out things like this when the media starts to play hot potato with them – we have to throw all our power into batting down stories like this wherever they pop up (think of it sort of like a game of political “Whack-a-Mole”). We have to remember, when everyone else is trying to make us forget, that those who seek to divide us are only successful if we allow them to win. This only becomes a fight right now if we give in to the people who want one. I, for one, don’t intend to do so.
It’s quite true that controversy stories are what get the most play and display. You have to realize that a reporter wants to get on page one or get airtime. So if this nomination looks mostly zzzzzzzzzzzzzz then if it looks like there can be an issue about documents or Roberts’ belonging to a conservative society, the media runs with it. Part of it is that media training puts a high premium on those who ask challenging questions versus Larry King (p.r. style) questions. But CR is quite right: some stories are media manufactured and media pressed.
It’s The Silly Season and The New Editor has picked out a quote that summarizes it all — particularly the perils facing the Demmies.
Are We REALLY At War? Daedalnexus raises the question in a post that should be read in its entirey. A small taste 4 U:
I have a question. Are we at war, or aren’t we? We have soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan killing and dying on the President’s orders, so in that sense we are at war. Bush II says we’re at war, and when the President says so, his authority gives his words more weight than, say, mine. But in almost every way I can think of, we’re not at war. Engaged in a dangerous conflict, yes, not actually at war.
The Boy Scouts Have Won A Victory over the ACLU
This Issue Still Doesn’t Excite Us But Jeb Bush Still Revolts Us: We have not posted much on the fuss over Supreme Court nominee John Robert’s role in the 2000 Presidential election’s Florda recount. It’s because (a) we can never get totally satisifactory confirmation one way or another due to conlicting reports (each one thrown out by each side) and because (b)even if it’s true, favorable comments about Roberts from attornies in both parties makes us conclude it’s not a make-or break factor.
THAT BEING SAID, though, as in the Terri Schiavo case, Florida Governor Jeb Bush increasingly gives us the political creeps with statements as credible as us saying “Alan Keyes will run for Senate again in Illinoise and win in a landslide.” Crooks and Liars has the latest transparently unbelievable Jeb Bush statement here. Give me a break, Jeb…(and we don’t care about this issue).
John Roberts looks good compared to Alberto Gonzales, according to Nathan Newman.
An Excellent South Asian Blog Roundup can be found at Asia Pundit.
Media Hype Over An Alleged U.S. Pullout Timetable On Iraq is put under the microscope by Oxblog’s David Adesnik.
A Story About A “Cool Mom” who helped her kid have parties with lots of drugs, sex and alcohol. There are implications beyond the headlines and story facts.
A Host Of Great Links from Windy City Mike.
Has Bill Frist Just Committed A Fatal Error If He Wants To Run For President? Read John Cole.
Cartoon Spongebob Square Pants Is Being Attacked by the Spongeface Square Heads (square due to paranoia) in Florida as the Education Wonks note.
The Number Of Spanish Language Radio Stations has skyrocketed in Houston.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.