One day after covering GOP attack on Dem national security proposal, NY Times ignores its rollout
SUMMARY: The New York Times published no reports in its March 30 edition about a national security platform that Democratic leaders released on March 29, despite reporting Republican attacks on the platform the day before.
The New York Times published no reports in its March 30 edition about a national security platform that Democratic leaders released on March 29, in advance of the midterm elections. On March 29, the Times previewed the Democrats' security platform by reporting that "[m]ost of the proposals are not new" and relaying Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond's (R-MO) claim that "[i]t's taken them [Democrats] all this time to figure out what we've been doing for a long time." As Media Matters for America noted, that article made no mention that congressional Republicans -- including Bond -- have blocked the Democrats' "not new" security proposals for years.
In contrast to the Times, other major news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and the Associated Press, published March 30 reports examining the platform; The New York Times carried the AP report on its website, but the newspaper did not publish it -- or any other report on the subject -- in its print edition.
I agree, the Dem National Security Proposal deserves some analysis. For example, it has come to my attention that one of the points touched on in the report is Energy Independence. According to the report:
To Free America from Dependence on Foreign Oil, we will:
"Achieve energy independence for America by 2020 by eliminating reliance on oil from the Middle East and other unstable regions of the world."
Well that's great! Why didn't you say so! It's so easy now that you mention it.
I guess we will be firing up that drilling equipment in Alaska, no wait....I guess we will be expanding our nuclear energy capabilities, no wait...I guess we will be developing that clean coal technology, or using ethanol, or solar, or wind, or or or ?????? by 2020, the clock's ticking.
Yep - so why hasn't the Republican controlled Executive and Congress done anything real about it? Why did the Energy Department have to run and find a measley $5 million to avoid an embarassing media moment for the President? Why do tax credits remain that do nothing to incent development of alternative energy sources?
As for ANWR, that's a 1% solution. Perhaps if we could cut significantly our reliance on oil, then ANWR could represent a more significant portion of U.S. oil demand. However, the effort should focus first on alternative, renewable energy sources.
You might be right, which was why I was looking forward to the Democratic plan on this which turned out to be: "We will end our reliance on Middle East oil by not buying it anymore". Outstanding, count me in.
The Democratic plan isn't new...but it's about damn time we enacted it!