"Fair and balanced" Fox News is anything but in coverage of tea parties
SUMMARY: Despite its promise to deliver "total fair and balanced network coverage" of the April 15 tea party protests, Fox News repeatedly promoted the protests on that day and engaged in inflammatory rhetoric during its coverage.
Despite its promise to deliver "total fair and balanced network coverage" of the April 15 tea party protests, Fox News repeatedly promoted the protests on that day, while hosts and guests, including those on Fox Business, engaged in inflammatory rhetoric during their coverage of the protests. As Media Matters for America documented, Fox News aggressively promoted the protests prior to April 15, encouraging viewers to get involved across the country. The network also featured at least 20 segments on the protests and at least 73 in-show and commercial promotions for them from April 6 to April 13. Indeed, Fox News has repeatedly described the protests as "FNC Tax Day Tea Parties."
Examples of Fox News' and Fox Business' April 15 tea party coverage included:
- Discussing how to show support for tea parties, Fox & Friends' Gretchen Carlson claimed: "You can hang [a teabag] from your mirror, too, like fuzzy dice."
- Fox News host Megyn Kelly claimed that "you can join the tea party action from your home if you go to the FoxNation.com ... a virtual tax day tea party."
- Fox Business anchor Cody Willard asked, "Guys, when are we going to wake up and start fighting the fascism that seems to be permeating this country?"
- Willard further stated that conservatives and liberals are "both fascists who are taking all of my money and building up corporate America with my welfare."
- Fox News host John Gibson expressed "hope[]" that millions of people" would participate in the protests.
- Fox Business anchor David Asman told viewers they "need[ed] to go" to the tea party merchandise website "no matter what side of the issue you're on."
- Willard asked a protester: "Are you worried about me taking these dollars from you ... or destroying those dollars? I mean that's what the government does anyway."
- On The O'Reilly Factor, Fox News contributor Dennis Miller claimed that "the average American taxpayer feels like they've just been shot in the head in a deck chair on a sinking boat."
- Fox News host Sean Hannity asked contributor Newt Gingrich "one serious question": "Is this now a battle between capitalism and socialism?"
- Hannity also asked: "Why don't we have more anger towards government, or is this the anger that finally is beginning to emerge?"
- Discussing the protests on Hannity, RedState's Erick Erickson stated, "[I]f we don't do something, if we don't turn the corner, we're going to be enslaved to the government."
- Also on Hannity, radio host Bill "Bubba" Bussey said it was "time for a revolution."
- Hannity also featured a Thomas Paine imitator to plug the tea parties.
Last night on Fow News, Fox News was doing the protesting.
Gives new meaning to the phrase "embedded journalists", huh?
Conservatives are the ones that hate america, and these tea parties are proof if it. The original Tea Party was a rebeliion against the British Government, for the purpose of secesion and independence. For that we ere labeled traitors to the crown. Based on the rhetoric and purpose of these parties, it is quite clear now who the REAL traitors are. (Hint: the'ye the same ones who accused everyone of treason from even daring to question the god-given authority of Bush and Cheney.)
So take note, because they are yelling, LOUD AND CLEAR that they HATE THIS COUNTRY. They hate it as much as we hated George III (that would be the former KING, not the former president) and as much as Jefferson Davis' Confederacy hated Abraham Lincoln's Union. They have cast their lot with histories traiotrs, but have done so against the Government that WE THE PEOPLE elected. THEY. ARE. TRAITORS.
What hte CONS hate is anyone or anything that helps the poor or middle class improve their standing.They hate the GOVT interfering with them in any way. They hate the GOVT trying to slow dowm their greeddy excesses.
I'd have agreed with that (fairly harsh) assessment only a few months ago. But now we've had the Governor of Texas talking about seccession. (Jokingly, but still - can you imagine the reaction I the liberlas had done that under Bush?!) They've gone beyond legitimate, even sensible, protest and are now "joking" about treeason. They're traitorous scum. They hate America, and all that we REALLY stand for. They only love the America that exsists in their twisted imaginations.
Hey Eddie, you live in Texas? I'm a bit north of Dallas.
Yeah, Govorner "Good Hair" Perry is a real pip. See his invite to Rush:
Gov. Rick Perry says he's delighted that Rush Limbaugh has mentioned maybe moving to Texas. And the governor is throwing out the welcome mat to the conservative radio talker. Limbaugh says he's tired of the taxes in New York and wants to move -- and mentioned Texas as a possibility. Perry says he's in the process of contacting Rush personally to extend the invitation, but we got to him first -- so it's public. Perry told me the Lone Star State would be a great place for El Rushbo.
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/04/rick-perry-to-rush-limbaugh-co.html
We Texans needs limbaugh like we need another rock.
Talk about dumbing down the state.
Nope, Michigan. The good Governors comments, however lighthearted, are chilling. I mean, did he not take an oath of office? Did that not have something do do with upholding the Constitution or something? Comments like that, from an elected offical, are treasonous.
Personally if California and Massachusette chose to secede, I'd be all for it!
And which of our fair states do you hail from? Are you aware of the inequities in the return of tax dollars to the states of CA & MA?
Another ignorant Republican leaves his mark at MMFA.
Unions have within them the power of common cause. That is the strength of these United States. We are a union.
Think of how weak and vulnerable we would be left, to quote a conservative colloquialism, in this post 9/11 world if we were divided once again, brother against brother, sister against sister in civil war.
You stupid Republican nitwits are courting disaster with your secessionist talk. You should be ashamed. Just imagine the berserker you Republicans would have had if we liberals, 3 or 4 years ago, acted like you jerks are acting today. You would have thrown us in detention camps for talking such nonsense in a time of war you stupid hypocrite. We're still in Iraq, idiot. Or have you decided that it's no longer the central front in the GWOT since you right wingers have been ousted? Have you decided that your foreign adventurism no longer matters and that your dreams of nation building will pay for themselves without taxpayer dollars?
Grow a sack and stand up against the disgusting corporatists that run the GOP today.
Moron.
While your being dumb, you might as well throw Iowa to your list of states that don't matter. Regressive punk.
And before any wingnut (floyd, aa, jamesb) tries it, this is just my opinion, so don't bother trying to shut down my right to free speech with your jerkwad antics of calling me an extremist, loony, social engineer or any of that crap you're programmed to respond with. Just don't do it because I'm really, really good at playing your game. I'll own you.
Sorry, do you think comparing Bush to Hitler is some how okay? You think screaming about possible abuses of the PAtriot Act while Obeyme sets up a fascist state tight under your willfully blind eye is not completely hypocritical? Know why he's talking secession? because Obeyme is wiping his rear with the Constitution, and those crazy conservatives don't agree with it. A black man has finacially enslaved an entire generation or more of US citizens, and you think WE'RE the problem. This would be comical if it weren't so pathetic. Just way, it gets worse. His crazy economic policies are still in their infancy! Just wait until we resemble Zimbawe this time next year. Who are you going to blame then? Fox, Bush, Limbaugh? Who are you all lining up to be the straw man you can blame? When America rejects you destructive irrelevant parasites in 2010, MAYBE we can try to repair the damage Obeyme has done, assuming he hasn't imprisoned those of differing political ideology.
You:
PATRIOT ACT !! POTENTIAL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS!!
Obeyme: Keep a watch on Americans who have a Ross Perot bumper sticker, own a gun or believe in state's rights!
You: YEAH< GO GET 'EM !!
Hypocrite much?
And you are the reason Republicans will be in the minority for some time to come. With your just do nothing economic plan, blame the poor and doomsday talk, you look and sound like some politicly hysterical version of chicken little. Mix in some secessionist language while we still are in Iraq and you have a recipe for bringing our country to a level of vulnerability that could easily be exploited by people who intend to do us serious harm.
You crybabies are selfish little brats and you should be ashamed of yourselves. Do you remember how you jerks told us we were traitors for simply disagreeing with Bush? Do you remember Dick Cheney, three weeks after Obama's inauguration telling the world that Obama is making us an easier terrorist target with his foreign policy, or during the 04 election telling us that a vote for a Democrat is a vote for the terrorists? So just shove your hypocritical little, "YOU ARE THE TRAITOR," rant from below and shove it where you obviously hide your head.
The truth is, thanks to the work of the radical corporate lackey Republicans who spent years in government destroying the laws and rules that held corporate greed in check for decades after the New Deal, it is only our government that is big enough and strong enough to help dig us out of his mess. So go cry about big government and taxes somewhere else, we have no alternative beyond rebuilding and reinvesting in infrastructure and education to get people back to work. You willful brats broke our economy with you market fundamentalist crap and you'd do well to shut the Hell up or pitch in to help the adults get to work repairing the damage you've done.
I love it when you all reply because it shows us the lack of actual factual data you have and the vitriol all at the same time. Gratz on being a multi-tasker.
So you don't like our "do nothing" fiscal policy eh? We HAVE to act eh? Let's look at the facts. The CBO has already stated that doing nothing was economically superior than what Obeyme has done. Obeyme couldn't get a single European leader to pledge more money and increase debt. Putin called us too socialistic. The head of the EU said our economic policy was the path "to hell". But hey, at least we acted eh? Look at the numbers. If you taxed ALL income over $250,000 at 100%, it doesn't even pay HALF of his budget. try to grasp that ( I am dubious as to your ability). More over, his numbers assume a 4% growth in the GDP to increase taxable revenue. LOL! That's rosy by ANY standards for any decade. What exactly is going to make the economy grow? His coroporate friendly tax policies? His corporate friendly energy policies which have been shown to NOT be the energy panacea they were advertised as? How about the increased income taxes which will literally destroy all small businesses which employ 95+% of ALL americans. We will be LUCKY if we don't have a 4% retraction of the GDP. The numbers DON'T ADD UP, but at least we "acted". Sure, it will lead to 15% unemployment, hyperinflation, a retraction in the GDP, a future generation saddled with debt they may never recover from, but at least we acted !! bravo. Plus, look at the other historical data. He's spending at 26+% of the GDP !! NO president has done that except during WW2. not even CLOSE! Most presidents fluctuate around 18-20%, but I'm sure you already knew these numbers, right?
See the difference between your post and mine. Which actually has facts, and figures then arrives at a conclusion? (hint, not yours). Those numbers are widely available for all to see, but at least you claimed we'll always be a minority (nice police state talk there. No tolerance from you and your kind), called us names and provided absolutely no substance. But hey, at least you "acted" by posting. Thanks. it makes it easy to illustrate the difference.
Europe didn't need to go into stimulus spending because they have spent decades investing in healthcare for all and education. They have spent decades, instead of destroying effective government, they have been building a strong social safety net so they can more easily ameliorate the effects of recession.
Also, available for all to see are masses of respected economists from Krugman to Stiglitz calling for geater stimulus because do nothing is death. So link up to your numbers or stfu because you are not to be trusted in your interpretations.
And cry me a river you thin skinned hypocrite. You offered nothing but name calling yourself, or does, "When America rejects you destructive irrelevant parasites in 2010, MAYBE we can try to repair the damage Obeyme has done, assuming he hasn't imprisoned those of differing political ideology," not count as mindless name calling? But unlike me, you have to be a baby and cry about it. Suck it up you seething child.
Really? This is surprising given that it was George Bush who removed 13 million poor people from the tax payrolls. How many poor people do you think Obama's deficit spending will really help?
Where do you come up with such garbage? During BOY GEORGE'S first term 4.5 million people fell below the poverty line and lost their health insurance. I haven seen figures for his second term but i'd bet it easily doubles that figure.
That's about right 13 million of 300 million is 4.33% He really cut a sweetheart tax deal fo the richest 5% of the U.S. To hear these teabaggers tell it, it's those poor rich folk who shouldn't have to pay taxes.
Who will the stimulus help? If we can keep the conservative Republicans and Democrats from screwing it up and giving all the money directly to bankers, it will help everyone of us because demand is the driver of supply. Put people to work building a better American infrastructure, education and energy system and we will have money to buy things again. Which will, in turn, feed the GDP.
You really have no clue. Conservatives aren't the one imposing upon a minority, conservatives aren't the one's labeling those who agree with the Consitution as "extremists", conservatives aren't the ones who stalked AIG member's families, and conservatives had HUNDREDS of protests against the fascist state Obeyme is creating while doing it peacefully. had this been 800 gay pride rallies, you all would have championed this for WEEKS on end leading up to the event, and it would have been covered all day by all "major" networks. You yelling and calling us traitors while simulataneously sending your DHS watch dogs on those whose political ideology differs is perhaps the most hypocritical thing I have ever seen. What arte you going to do? Turn a tax payer in for peaceful protest. Do you wipe your hind side with the Constitution? YOU ARE THE FRINGE! You expect EVERYTHING without contributing ANYTHING! You are a parasite, and helping create a fascist state. YOU ARE THE TRAITOR! YOU HAVE MADE A MOCKERY OF THE US! WE believe in the Consitution and what this nation has stoof for for the past several centuries. A black man has finacially enslaved all our kids, and you call US the traitor ?!?! you are intellectually immature. I think Shakespeare said it best, "Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing"
Want "fair and balanced"? Why were 800 peaceful protests in 50 states attended by over a MILLION Americans summarily dismissed by the MSM? The Teleprompter in Chief was put in place by the propaganda machine, and those of weak minds can do little more than yell talking points without having ANY SUBSTANCE !! YOU ARE THE TRAITOR! NOW LEAVE MY COUNTRY!
You're just making crap up for the sake of painting yourself as a victim. Grow a bag already.
Great response, as substantive as your others responses I might add.
You have a lot of room to speak. You didn't supply facts. Instead, you supplied vitriol, and then act with indignation when nobody takes the bait.
You really have no clue.
How nice.
Conservatives aren't the one imposing upon a minority
I'm trying to imagine what minority you think Liberals are imposing on. If we're speaking about political alliances, we saw how the Conservatives in Congress deal with the minority party. So far, Democrats have been far more willing to reach across the aisle for suggestions and cooperation. In response to including Republican wishes in various bills, Republicans have still voted no en mass. You want cooperation between the parties, you need to look back to the policies that Newt Gingrich installed in the Congress under his watch. He and his cadre are by far most responsible for the incredible lack of bipartisianship we see today.
Conservatives aren't the one's labeling those who agree with the Consitution as "extremists"
Funny. I'd have taken you for a Fox News viewer. We've been labeled that for years by Conservatives. Now, of course, both sides do this, and some people are certainly worthy of the label. But please check your halo before making such an absurd claim ever again.
Conservatives aren't the ones who stalked AIG member's families,
Not really sure what you're talking about. But if we're talking about the people who received bonuses after significantly contributing to the implosion of the planet's economy, then I'm kind of stunned that you would be defending those bonuses. Certainly, nobody should be stalked or threatened (please email Bill O'Reilly with your concerns about this issue) but nobody should be defending million dollar bonuses for people who have put the entire country at risk with their incompetence and greed.
had this been 800 gay pride rallies, you all would have championed this for WEEKS on end leading up to the event, and it would have been covered all day by all "major" networks.
Sure, those of us who want to champion a cause do and will promote events designed to create support within the community or outside it. And if the events are significant, it would be poor journalism to NOT cover the events.
However, if a news organization claims to be fair and unbiased, then it would only report on the events as they happen. They would not a) organize the events, b) send their personalities to host events, c) promote the events in advance. No, a fair and balanced news network would wait until the events occurred, and then be there on the sidelines to report on what happend.
Which did Fox News do?
You yelling and calling us traitors
What would you call someone who suggested that a state secede from the union?
But frankly, your "high horse" is sinking in the quicksand. We Liberals have spent the last eight years being called traitors and worse by Conservatives. Any disagreement with the Bush Administration was considered an attack on this country. What I don't hear these days are people calling those who disagree with the Obama administration "traitors."
while simulataneously sending your DHS watch dogs on those whose political ideology differs is perhaps the most hypocritical thing I have ever seen.
You think there aren't those on the right and left who pose a threat to this country, in large or small part? You've already forgotten Timothy McVeigh and the dozens he killed? It's only a recent report that mentioned right wing extremists. Previous reports have mentioned left wing extremists. So cool your jets.
What arte you going to do? Turn a tax payer in for peaceful protest.
Who ever suggested such a thing? Please provide a citation with a link so we can all see it and discuss it, because that would be awful.
Do you wipe your hind side with the Constitution?
I wouldn't want to use something already so smeared with Bush feces. Bush advocated torture. Bush denied lawyers and trials to those he detained. Bush promoted extraordinary rendition so that methods of torture not approved by his administration could be applied. And he tried to apply these policies to people legally here in the United States.
YOU ARE THE FRINGE! You expect EVERYTHING without contributing ANYTHING!
Sorry. I'm in that lauded 10% who pay 72% of the taxes in this country. As are many other Liberals. So that's comment is simply a lie, and I'll ask that you stop saying it if you want to have any semblence of integrity.
You are a parasite, and helping create a fascist state.
Wow, nice.
YOU ARE THE TRAITOR!
I thought you guys didn't do this.
A black man has finacially enslaved all our kids, and you call US the traitor ?!?!
It's significant to you that he's a black man, huh? And insigificant that Bush spent over a trillion, give or take, on an unjust invasion of a country that posed absolutely no threat to our safety. Obama's administration is trying to clean that mess up, and you blame him for the debt Bush created.
you are intellectually immature.
See also the point where you called us all parasites and traitors. Not to mention where you simply lied.
Want "fair and balanced"? Why were 800 peaceful protests in 50 states attended by over a MILLION Americans summarily dismissed by the MSM?
I saw the protests covered on Countdown, on CNN, on MSNBC, in the local papers.... They weren't ignored. Once again, you've simply lied.
YOU ARE THE TRAITOR! NOW LEAVE MY COUNTRY!
No. But if you hate it here so much, there's the door.
WOW!
Thanks for the time and effort you have shown bittermarv.
Why were 800 peaceful protests in 50 states attended by over a MILLION Americans summarily dismissed by the MSM?
Because it's not true. The number I heard (from Fox News, no less) was 200,000. And there were that many at ONE war protest that was mostly ignored.
If they didn't before, they have now crossed the line...I have never seen any other network sponsor protests against the government...they are now and forever will be tabloid television. It is truly disgusting!
FoxNews' tried to show that the majority of these people at their (FoxNews & Republicans) Tea Parties "hated" President Obama, Obama's 2 1/2 months policies, and Democrats. But, the majority of these people were "NOT" buying this crap. It was funny to watch FoxNews & Republicans listen to these people say how they "hated" both Democrats and Republicans. These Tea Parties backfired for FoxNews & the Republicans for the "big" plan was to harness these people "TAX" anger for the Republicans' political gain. Now what?
Now, they go home, wash their faces, and pray that the photos of their teabag party don't get on the internets...
...uh oh. Too late.
Don't Let Bill O'Reilly see that...he said last night that the medias use of the double entendre was in very bad taste (he he)
That must be on the new list of RNC talking points... Joe Blow Scarborough said the exact same thing this morning. Interestingly, people on his own network (Olbermann and Maddow) had a field day with it.
They finally realized what tea bagging meant and are now embarrassed that they called themselves a bunch of nut suckers. Nut sucking for lower taxes for the rich, how priceless is that?
More evidence that this teabagging episode did not come from the ground up. Only a witless, out of touch elitist like Dick Armey or Newt Gingrich, would be stupid enough to manufacture a movement and give it such an unfortunately embarrassing brand name.
Buncha idiots.
I was offended with how much emphasis MSNBC placed on the urban dictionary meaning of teabagging. I found it quite offensive.
To each his own. I found it quite funny... especially given the fact that a majority of the protesters were also probably Right Wing anti-gay-rights religious nutbags.
nerzog: "nutbags" - nice one(s)!
I agree that many of them are homophobes, and as the parent of a gay child, I know that there's nothing wrong or offensive with that child.
I still maintain that there was no good purpose in harping on the urban dictionary definition of teabagging. It's not very funny to call a guy named Richard 'Dick' and then titter about it. Yeah, "dick" can mean a part of one's anatomy, and it can be an insult, but many times, it's just a man's name, and it's offensive to always laugh when you're introduced to someone named Dick because his name can mean other things.
It's the same thing. MSNBC needed to grow up. I found their behavior really offensive.
Hey, they stepped in it on their own. If they're so out of step with the mainstream that they're clueless about pop culture, it's on them my friend. They deserve to be ridiculed for their ineptitude.
May I brag that I pointed this out on MM4A when the Tea Parties were first announced on Faux Noise?
These right wingnutz need to read "Wonkette." That's where a geezer such as myself keeps up with the degenerate yoot of today...
When I blogged about it on my site, and posted the Rachel Maddow video, I included a link to the slang definition, so I would not have to spell it out. I was quite surprised at the some of the private e-mail I got from people who had no idea what the term meant.
Sorry it wasn't you cup of tea. I was quite amused that Maddow, Olbermann, Schuster, and others, had such a ball with it. All tongue-in-cheek, of course.
Neon Desert, You have "MADE" my day become filled lots of smiles. Thanks.
My mission is naught but to spread sunshine...
I did actually notice a bunch of that going on. The condemnation for republicans and democrats. But I just have to ask, if they were SOOOO angry at republicans, why wait until NOW to protest? It just seems, well, weird, and oddly misplaced.
Magnolia...., I think these "true" Tea Party protestors were out last year, and the years before that too. Remember, FoxNews is a Republican/Conservative right wing cable tv network and no way would they broadcast or beg their viewers to "rise-up" against former President Bush. Btw, Rush Limbaugh just mentioned about the Republicans trying to harness those people from the Tea Parties to help jumpstart the Republican Party in coming back. Just shameful.
Remember, FoxNews is a Republican/Conservative right wing cable tv network
Does anyone here admit that CNN is a Democratic/Liberal Left wing cable TV network?
I wonder if Faux News will be held accountable if, god forbid, that some nut goes off the deep end and hurts anyone because of the hatred brought on by these teabagging parties that they set up and sponsored.
Simple, they'll say that the vicious person(s) is not a true teabagger, or is a democratic operative.
Faux Gnus will never drop its cover, it will just suddenly disappear, like a popped balloon, leaving little usable substance behind.
Awww, geez...
Did ya HAVE to use "popped ballon" in this context? Are you TRYING to create neuroses that will last all day?
I watched Hannity last night and saw the anti President Obama signs. I wanted Hannity to ask those people why they hate America.
I will ask Sean, Sean why do you hate America?
SEANNIE just hates LIBERALS and DEMOCRATS.
Hannity hates anyone who disagrees with him, and him and his FOX crew attempt to label them.
Faux News was whining last night and WORSE this morning that the MSM "won't cover these tea parties" - they were all trying to explain away 100s of 1,000s of people down to 1,000s of people at 100s of tea parties. It was a bust -- Newt and Sean are idiots. Sean is a seditious hate-monger and Newt is was out of his time zone -- he is a has been with retreaded ideas - what would you expect from Rethugs?
magnolialover, you hit the nail on the head!!! Where were all these outraged teabaggers when Bush and his ilk were running loose, trampling the Constitution, running up a huge debt, and touting his trumped up Iraq war???...just to name a few.
They were just attacking anyone who went against Bush, they would say "Why do you hate America?"
I think they were calling anybody traitors who dared criticize or mock our Commander in Chief while we had troops in harm's way. Seems like I remember Hannity, O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Coulter, and the Fox and Friends idiots making that very point quite often.
I predicted that they would quickly flip-flop on that sentiment if Obama became president... and I was right! I saw several signs ridiculing Obama yesterday... and not a word of protest from the Troglodytes that this might demoralize our troops. Imagine that... they've rediscovered free speech.
I remember if you dared be critical of Bush you were labeled as Anti American.
Yes that is true, we all remember how anyone who was against the invasion of Iraq was anti American. Some even lost jobs like Phil Donahue.
Well, actually many of the Republicans that today were protesting this huge deficit were also unhappy with Bush. My question is, "what happened with all those democrats who condemned Bush for running up the deficit, but now think that Obama is perfectly okay in doing the same thing?" Hypocrits are all around, don't you think?
>>Well, actually many of the Republicans that today were protesting this huge deficit were also unhappy with Bush.
Obama needs to increase the deficit in order to stimulate the economy. If you don't stimulate the economy, then you actually have a greater debt in terms of the GDP. Krugman, who received the Nobel prize in economics, keeps saying the stimulus bill isn't big enough.
link
link
"My question is, "what happened with all those democrats who condemned Bush for running up the deficit, but now think that Obama is perfectly okay in doing the same thing?" Hypocrits are all around, don't you think?"
Bush's deficit spending was irresponsible. An unjust war, an unwise tax cut instead of trying to reduce our national debt by running surpluses, pork unrivaled by any Democratic Congress, no spending bills ever vetoed, etc.
Obama is saving our nation from going into a depression.
Obama is NOT doing 'the same thing" as Bush did.
That would make YOU the hypocrite for failing to recognize the difference because you almost blindly support Bush while you blindly attack Obama.
It's as if the Democrats criticized Bush for eight years because all he did was buy candy, and now that there's a Democrat in the White House buying vegetables, the Republicans are screaming "he's spending too, why don't you criticize HIM?"
All spending is not created equal. Trying to explain that to someone who has had his brain rotted with three hours of Sean Hannity every day is pretty much a waste of time.
So Sheer Insannity likes Thomas Paine? From an excellent essay on inherited weath (that I highly recommend you read!):
“God gave the Earth as an inheritance for all God’s children.” – Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine sparked the first bestseller in American history – a fiery pamphlet entitled, Common Sense (1776), which sold over 120,000 copies in its first few months of publication and successfully encouraged a declaration of independence from England. The heart of Paine’s famous pamphlet contains a withering criticism of hereditary government. This critique extends through all his works. “All hereditary government is in its nature tyranny.” “Hereditary succession . . . is in its nature an absurdity, because it is impossible to make wisdom hereditary . . .. History informs us that the son of Solomon was a fool.” “To the evil of monarchy we have added that of hereditary succession; and as the first is a degradation and lessening of ourselves, so the second . . . is an insult and an imposition on posterity.”
Later in life, Paine extended this critique of inherited political power to a critique of inherited economic power. It is important to remember that Paine distrusted governments, disliked taxes, and heartily approved of late night tea parties in Boston Harbor! He opens Common Sense with an attack not only on monarchy, but also on government itself. “Government even in its best state is but a necessary evil.”
Modern libertarians tend to adopt Paine as their patron saint, stressing his description of government as evil while forgetting the modifier, “necessary.” Paine, unlike modern libertarians, never viewed “the government” and “the people” as mortal enemies. As he says, “Government and the people do not in America constitute distinct bodies.” His love of liberty was tempered by a commitment to the common good. Ironically for a revolutionary, he wrote an entire pamphlet, The Necessity of Taxation (1782), arguing that taxation is the “criterion of public spirit.”
In two works, The Rights of Man (1791) and Agrarian Justice (1797), Paine argues for the adoption of an inheritance tax in England to balance out the unfair distribution of “landed property.” For Paine it is common sense that God gave “the Earth as an inheritance” to all of God’s children. Therefore, he proposed an inheritance tax to create a national fund that (1) would give the sum of 15 pounds sterling to everyone turning 21 years old as a compensation for the loss of their “natural inheritance,” and (2) would give a sum of 10 pounds a year to every person over the age of 50 as an early version of Social Security.
Paine viewed democracy as a sensible middle ground between aristocracy and socialism. He was not an enemy of private property (far from it), but a fierce critic of inherited privilege. In the Rights of Man he justifies the inheritance tax as being a derivative of the existing luxury tax. As he says, “an overgrown estate is a luxury at all times, and as such is the proper object of taxation.”
http://www.responsiblewealth.org/tax_fairness/Estate_Tax/Estate_Tax_History_Grote.html
No fair using facts against Hannity. Facts have a liberal bias.
I'm guessing that Hanniterd never read Paine's "Age of Reason", either. It's a brilliant debunking of the basic tenets of Christianity (Paine was a hard core deist, and thought the Bible was mostly a pack of lies).
I'm watching Rachel Maddow's wrap up of this on C&L. The guy with the sign that said "america's taxpayers are the jews for obama's ovens" really drives home the hipocracy of it all. They deserve the title fascist republican party now.
It's the same guy from CNN yesterday -- the "Obama is a fascist" - "Why?" - "Because he is a fascist" genius.
h/t to maha
The Tea Party protest idea originally came from Libertarians who are upset over the fact that the Republican party hijacked the whole event and used it as a P.R campaign to promote themselves. The problem is that it completely backfired once again! It became a huge joke to people paying attention to all the events and if anything, it just highlighted the hypocrisy of it all. Where were these Tea Baggers when President Bush was doubling the national debt and expanding government??? Oh right, they were defending the President against all criticism. Pure hypocrisy. Fox "News" kept repeating over and over again that this was a grassroots movement and that they were not promoting the event...yet they WERE promoting it and Corporate lobbyists and Republican think-tanks were organizing it! If you needed proof that Fox Noise was a Republican party moutpiece....this is it!
fox news "coverage" of tea partys was shameful, they need to stop using the monicor "fair and balance" once and for all.
What you people don't understand, is that Glenn Beck was INVITED to join a tea party already in progress! Shawn Hannity, of course, being a great AMERICAN, would want to be a part of something like this. This was not about democrat, republican, conservative, liberal, independent, or anyone else in general. All together, they are AMERICANS! If you had taken the time to listen to any of the ideas thrown around last night you would have known that this IS about Bush emplimented taxation, and the taxation that OBAMA will HAVE to empliment due to the repayment of the T.A.R.P. 1&2, Stimulus 1, poss.2, poss.3! How is he lowering taxes for the top 95% of americans? The top 10% of "over-paid", "stingy", "conservative-idiots" pay 72.4% of all taxes....... The bottom 60% of americans pay a measley 0.06% of all taxes! How does that add up? Any way, These were AMERICANS and they were peacefully assembling, 1st. ammendment right<-------, and it was achieved. If "reporters" would actually report the news, I KNOW that CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, all the big stations were compeletly aware these were going to happen........ They surf the internet to get storise as much as they chase ambulances! They love to create the news, but there was history in the making yesterday, and all they can say is we are all possible terrorist threats, and they put down our military vets......... What kind of government is that? What kind of reporting is that? SOON, hopefuly, we can break through the party lines and join together as independent AMERICANS, fighting for the common goal of a government who works for us! We will over come! Keep it up my fellow AMERICANS, forget the red and blue sides, join together and make a difference in your next local elections! "No taxation without deliberation!"
This was not about democrat, republican, conservative, liberal, independent, or anyone else in general.
Then why was it targeted so much at Democrats? So many of the signs and shouting were about impeaching Obama, and insults at Barney Frank. I didn't see any signs about Bush, but maybe I didn't look at enough photos of the events.
All together, they are AMERICANS!
No question about it. But most Americans, judging by polls, don't agree with them, or at the very least, believe that Obama is so far handling things well.
If you had taken the time to listen to any of the ideas thrown around...
Well, I dismiss the idea of impeaching Obama. That was a common idea I heard thrown around. I'm for the stimulus, so I disagree with all the whining about that. I think the bailouts suck, but are a necessary evil. Oh, I'm also against book burning and taking kids out of college. (That was on a very popular video from a pre-tea-party rally.)
You seem to think that we didn't listen to what you all were complaining about. Many of us did. And the reason we didn't participate is because we don't agree with your platform.
If "reporters" would actually report the news, I KNOW that CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, all the big stations were compeletly aware these were going to happen....
I saw coverage from many of these (I don't watch every news program, so I don't know if all covered it) so the implication that they didn't cover the tea parties is simply false. Prove otherwise, and show your work.
They love to create the news, but there was history in the making yesterday,
Um... you never saw any promotional commercials for the tea parties on Fox News? Never? Because a lot of us have seen them. That's the entire thrust of this article here on MMfA -- that Fox was "creating the news." Tell me how it was possible that Fox was reporting on these events before they happened?
and all they can say is we are all possible terrorist threats, and they put down our military vets...
Please, your credibility tanks when you lie.
What kind of government is that? What kind of reporting is that?
I know that as a loyal Fox viewer, you believe that news networks are supposed to be an arm of the government or a political party, but they're not.
we can break through the party lines and join together as independent AMERICANS
Parties exist to support different political agendas. We seem to disagree on many items. There's nothing wrong with that. Now, it would be nice if, when one party makes an effort to reach out to the other, that the hand isn't slapped away. (If you don't understand what I'm talking about, look at the party line votes on many recent bills in congress -- even after many concessions were made to the Republicans.)
I realize I am stating the obvious here, but Fox has jumped the shark...they have crossed the line. They have gone from just being right-of-center pundits, to creating events and becoming purposeful, anti-government agitators.
I made the mistake of trying to actually post on their forums. For those who have not been there, it is an eye-opener. The people posting act like they are at some white supremacy website. If anybody thinks there are moderates left in the GOP, you are sadly mistaken.
A perfect illustration of the lack of balance is the controversy over the Janet Napolitano report about right-wing extremists. It is shocking to go on their site and see not a single right-winger who can differentiate between extremist hate groups and a right-of-center philosphy, in general. The hatred is palpable.
I could be wrong, but these pople sound like they are looking for an excuse for violent confrontation. You have to read it for yourselves.
In a problem-solving sort of way, what is the appropriate reaction? I have expressed a desire for a boycott of their sponsors, but that will not happen unless somebody coordinates it. It is a tall order. However, at the very least, sponsors need to be presented with a body of Fox's work, containing some of their more extremist rantings, and then get asked if they want to be associated with people who are agitating against the government in that way.
If a sponsor wants to be associated with that network, fine. But I would like to know who they are.
Does anybody have any other answers, outside of just expressing outrage at what they are doing? It doesn't appear that it is an FCC issue, or is it?
What's the next step? Or do we just keep pointing out their tactics and have no response to it?
I share your frustration. FOX is abusing the freedom and ignoring the responsibility provided to it by the First Amendment. FOX is the perfect culmination of the decline of our news media over the last 20 years.
This nonsense about the Napolitano report is a perfect example of the intellectual vacuousness of the Troglodytes who comprise FOX's audience.
They're too lazy or too stupid to glean the true meaning of the report for themselves, so they let Professional Liars like Hannity and Limbaugh whip them into a mindless frenzy over nothing.
I think MMfA needs to be careful here... FoxNoise just might claim you as the most dangerous lefty site destroying America for no better reason than you guys doing full context video and audio clips of entire segments or situations going on over at the Noise machine!
Shame on you guys for playing so dirty!
(-;
Sigh.. Fox needs some brains at that network. You can't declare dems socialists and faciasts (sp) at the same time. Socialist is far left and faciest is far right. Yes there's been alot of facism (however you spell that) since Dick Cheney came to power. We knew this for years, but now it's going beyond the left. So now that we are awake.. The real faciasts are crying foul.
I keep looking for your equally vociferous condemnation of media bias by CNN's correspondent, Susan Roesgen.
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cnn/cnn_reporter_at_chicago_tea_party_its_anticnn_since_this_is_highly_promoted_by_the_rightwing_conservative_network_fox_114141.asp
Somehow this kind of media bias escapes Media Matters? Maybe you should just change your name to "Liberal Matters", so its perfectly clear how "unbiased" you really are.
I got this one...
http://mediamatters.org/about_us/
So because you have a mission statement that says, "we aren't fair and balanced", therefore you are accepting of this premise?
>>So because you have a mission statement that says, "we aren't fair and balanced", therefore you are accepting of this premise?
Yes.
What did she say that was untrue? And, have you read MMFA's mission statement?
and have you read the rules about qualifying for tax-exempt status? Clearly Media Matters, by claiming tax-exempt status, is in violation of not only the law, but its basic premise that its patriotic to pay taxes.
>>and have you read the rules about qualifying for tax-exempt status? Clearly Media Matters, by claiming tax-exempt status, is in violation of not only the law, but its basic premise that its patriotic to pay taxes.
Really? Are you a tax lawyer, and you think the IRS is accepting MMFA's flaunting of the law? And you should pay taxes if you are required to pay them, not otherwise.
Why not...the IRS accepted it when the current Treasury Secretary flaunted the tax laws. Oh yes, he blamed "Turbotax" for his mistakes. I'd love to try that if I ever got audited.
>>Why not...the IRS accepted it when the current Treasury Secretary flaunted the tax laws. Oh yes, he blamed "Turbotax" for his mistakes. I'd love to try that if I ever got audited.
No it didn't. It didn't know of his not paying taxes. Do you have any proof that MMFA should is not paying their taxes, or are you just another right wing blowhard blowing smoke?
Why not...the IRS accepted it when the current Treasury Secretary flaunted the tax laws. Oh yes, he blamed "Turbotax" for his mistakes. I'd love to try that if I ever got audited.
Here's a tip- just because Sean Hannity calls Geitner "Turbotax" every day, doesn't mean that Geitner used Turbotax or blames Turbotax for his tax problems.
Here's another tip- if you don't want to be exposed as a drooling moron who believes everything Sean Hannity tells him, don't bleat his talking points here.
Here's one more tip- if you heard Sean Hannity say it, it's safe to assume that the opposite is true.
I've actually never seen any poster here more open with his willingness to just post garbage he heard from Sean Hannity. You should be ashamed at your inability to speak for yourself or choose your news sources better, but I believe that the part of the brain that controls "shame" is the first thing to go when one listens to too much right-wing radio.
well, she claims that the State of Illinois will "get $50 billion". As if this money was manna from heaven, rather than coming out of the same pockets of the people who are being condemned for complaining. This "reporter" was clearly looking for a chance to defend Obama, not to report in an unbiased way on events. But I have to say, if you are so happy paying taxes to a tax cheat, more power to you. Personally the day that Obama nominated Geitner, a repeated tax cheat, I recognized Obama for who he really is. Patriotic to pay taxes? Tell that to Geitner, the man who you wrote your checks to this week.
But do you really want to know what she said was untrue? Okay....she said that the State of Illinois gets $50 billion out of the stimulus package. According to the Center for American Progress, she is off by more than a factor of 2. The State of Illinois gets less than $23 billion from the stimulus package.
That's a good point, do you have a link? Were her statements about Fox promoting the tea parties untrue?
>>Okay....she said that the State of Illinois gets $50 billion out of the stimulus package. The State of Illinois gets less than $23 billion from the stimulus package.
Gasp! Oh, what an awful mistake! Take her off the air!
I was answering the question, "What did she say that was untrue?" Well, it took me 5 minutes to find out what she said that was untrue. How many of you people bothered to look it up and see if what she was saying is the truth or not?
These Treasonous Erratic Americans (T.E.A.) reminds me of the rise of Hitler during Nazi Germany during the 1930s. History tends to repeat itself.
This promotion of the Tea Parties by Fox News was done for ratings purposes. This was not a last minute decision by the heads of Fox News. It was thought out and planned along with other rightwing conservative groups. Don't let them fool you. This was never a fair and balance news network. It's all a lie.
Bossman Murdoch should be stripped of his U.S. citizenship and deported back to Australia, and he can take dimwit Sean with him.
We all should file complaints to the FCC about News Corporation affiliates and demand federal investigation on the operations of Fox News.
and while we are at it, we should check with the IRS and ask them why Media Matters continues to be a tax exempt organization? If you really believe, as Joe Biden does, the paying taxes is your patriotic duty, then why is Media Matters tax exempt? Put your money where your mouth is.
>>and while we are at it, we should check with the IRS and ask them why Media Matters continues to be a tax exempt organization? If you really believe, as Joe Biden does, the paying taxes is your patriotic duty, then why is Media Matters tax exempt? Put your money where your mouth is.
Paying taxes is patriotic *if* you own them. I don't think people who can't afford taxes should pay them. Besides which, Joe Biden is not MMFA.
"if you own them"? Hmm...not sure where you are going with that comment.
But you said that people who can't afford to pay taxes should not have to pay them. So obviouisly you are under the perception that Media Matters is largely funded by the poor? That would be poor people like George Soros? Please.
But if you believe the rich should pay their taxes, then why aren't you condemning Geithner, the man who you just paid all that money to. Not only was Geithner guilty of tax fraud, but President Obama knew he was guilty of this when he was nominated. To be "fair and balanced", you certainly should be out there condemning Geithner too. But of course, condemning those who aren't "fair and balanced" only applies to Fox News, because you have a mission statement that says you get to do so.
>>But you said that people who can't afford to pay taxes should not have to pay them. So obviouisly you are under the perception that Media Matters is largely funded by the poor? That would be poor people like George Soros? Please.
What the f** are you talking about? Can you possibly make a coherent post? I'm not going to play guessing games with you.
Yes, we know that Geitner did not pay taxes. That has nothing to do with Fox's absurd coverage.
How convenient to so easily write off the fact that Geithner is a tax fraud (not only was he a fraud, but he was a known fraud and someone who was nominated despite his fraudulent behavior), yet the rest of us are somehow obligated to not only play by the rules, but significantly cough up more taxes funds to pay for the Democrats and their pet projects.
So when Fox brings this up, in an admittedly "unfair and unbalanced" way, observations about these tea parties, people who claim themselves to know what "fair and balanced" is all about, fail to attack anything coming from the left. And why does Media Matters claim they don't need to attack the left? Simply because they have a mission statement that says they can be as hypocritical as they want.
Geitner's a 'tax fraud" who was confirmed by the US Senate; kind of like GW Bush being an election-stealing fraud who was confirmed by the US Supreme Court.
And why does Media Matters claim they don't need to attack the left? Simply because they have a mission statement that says they can be as hypocritical as they want.
Fox News isn't fair and balanced. Nobody says they can't be a right-wing mouthpiece. The complaints about Fox News are that it claims to be fair and balanced.
There's a "Hot Talk" (conservative) radio station here in the Bay Area. A lot of people don't like it, and they choose not to listen, but a market large enough to support the station exists. But that station is relatively clear about what they are (though they do tend to sweeten it with phrases like "Hot Talk" instead of just saying "Conservative supporting talk" or whatever.) But generally speaking, the station's people do not lie about the type of programming they put on the air.
Media Matters chooses to highlight conservative misinformation. They state it clearly in their mission statement. They don't hide behind slogans that say they are one thing and then go do another. That you think they should... well, tough. Go start your own blog. Get Richard Scaife to fund your effort. Let us know how it goes.
But the difference is clear: Fox News lies about what they do, Media Matters doesn't.
Save some of that indignation for the tax "fraud" governor of Alaska.
Huh? I do think paying taxes is patriotic, but I don't understand any other part of your post. If you'd like you can contact the IRS and ask them, I guess? Was there something else to your post I missed?
You think that paying taxes is patriotic but then Media Matters asks for tax exempt status. Yes, IRS rules do say that 501(c)(3) organizations can't lobby for changes in legislation or engage in any political campaigning activities.
>>You think that paying taxes is patriotic but then Media Matters asks for tax exempt status. Yes, IRS rules do say that 501(c)(3) organizations can't lobby for changes in legislation or engage in any political campaigning activities.
And MMFA does neither.
Is John Hagee's right wing Texas "church" still tax exempt?
MMfA doesn't do either. They point out lies and misinformation. I understand that you don't like the fact that the dishonesty is exposed, but that has nothing to do with lobboying for changes in legislation or political campaigning. You don't know what you're talking about.
and while we are at it, we should check with the IRS and ask them why Media Matters continues to be a tax exempt organization?
PLEASEEE quit posting this nonsense!!!!!
Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center.
A nonprofit corporation is a corporation formed to carry out a charitable, educational, religious, literary, or scientific purpose. A nonprofit corporation doesn't pay federal or state income taxes on profits it makes from activities in which it engages to carry out its objectives. This is because the IRS and state tax agencies believe that the benefits the public derives from these organizations' activities entitle them to a special tax-exempt status.
The most common federal tax exemption for nonprofits comes from Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which is why nonprofits are sometimes called 501(c)(3) corporations. For more information, see Nonprofit Basics.
I think you mean a web based left winged propaganda machine that enjoys tax exempt status because it continues to worship Obeyme as he systematically ruins the greatest nation and most powerful economy ever seen on this planet. Think it's bad now? Just wait until his policies actually are implemented. Will you all eventually start to see the connection between punishing employers and the rising unemployment levels?
I'm soooo tired of this useless babbling!
Obama was ELECTED!!!!! Get it? ELECTED!!!!!
Your side LOST, THANK GOD! And if YOU choose to spend the next 8 years babbling, don't post it! It's boring, trivial, juvenile and just confirms that you kids couldn't take care of the country and now the ADULTS are in charge!!!
I'll tell you what, I'll check on MMFA if you check on Focus on the Family and all of the other religious organizations attempting to sway voters. Deal?
"Fraud" means INTENTIONAL deception. Geithner made a MISTAKE. "Mistake" means unintentional. How do you know it was unintentional? Because he's the one who brought the problem to light, explained the circumstances, and made amends.
On the other hand, George W. Bush, while a director of an about to fail oil company and a member of its audit committee, violated the law by using his inside information about the company's finances to sell his stock before the price fell, and then failed to report the transaction. Only the fact that the chairman of the SEC was a friend of his family's saved Bush from criminal prosecution.
THAT, my friend, is REAL fraud.
"But...but...Sean Hannity said....um....Socialist Messiah France turbo tax Geitner Bill Ayers Rezko Nanny State!"--- lstm19274
I saved you the trouble, lstm- you can thank me later.
a MISTAKE ?!?!? The SAME mistake years in a row AFTER being warned in writing?!?!
So lets analyze this (don't be scared). He is either completely incapable of filing a tax return despite written instruction, and can't use a simple and easy to use Turbo Tax, or he's a tax cheat. Either way he is NOT qualified to be the Secretary of the Treasury! Take your pick. Incompetence or fraud.
I thought Media Matters was unbiased????
Fox News is #1 for a reason!!
The tea parties were a huge success. It was not Republicans or Democrats protesting all the taxes and spending of Congress. It was WE THE PEOPLE!!
Fox News being number one in ratings doesn't mean that they are accurate.
The tee bagging events were organized by Republicans against Obama; people like Newt and Dick Armey were among the prime organizers; much of the money came from Republican sources, and they were relentlessly promoted by Fox News. The same people claiming to be upset about government spending defended Bush when he destroyed a huge budget surplus and created a deficit greater than all the former presidents before him.
I have no problems with protests against Obama, but be honest about who is protesting--this was not a grassroots protest, it was organized and paid for by Republicans.
Some people (like me ) just watch Fox to see how Unfair and Unbalanced they really are so the ratings may be high for a different reason.Some people may think its a spoof channel (ala Sat Nite Live).Where else would u see an ex Mob operative as an expert commentator on an " All American panel"!? This "protest" was promotion of bash and obstruct Obama..make him fail so the failure can be used in the next election.Fox has stated many times they are here to get Republicans elected which is fine ..just admit it officially and stop lying with the fair and balanced crap!!! They have lately gone over the edge with promoting violence, secession and armed revolution.They are in denial about the potential violence that could spew from their rhetoric( FEMA concentration camps..really??) They have a raging fire going..but who will eventually be burned by it!??
I think that they should be honest about their affiliation (they have spouted Republican talking points verbatim many times), but I don't think that will happen. They don't WANT people informed; they want people angry about things that don't matter and ignoring things that do matter (most people are getting a tax cut under Obama, but the "tax protesters" are upset about a "tax increase" that only hits the richest 5% of the country).
I don't know the legal definitions inciting violence, but it seems to me that they're pretty close to it. I think they're hoping for violence and they will then blame it on Obama. They have shown that they are not interested in accuracy, they just want the Republicans in power no matter what.
I thought Media Matters was unbiased????
That's what you get for trying the think!
Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.
Oh, and those tea parties were a ONE day joke!
of course sean hannity is a zombie who has never issued one original thought or offered anything insightful and has made quite a career of spewing conservative talking points, i can see that... but i can also see that fox's ratings totally obliterate the competition, and i take great joy in seeing the desperation in the comments posted here, vainly trying to dismiss conservatives as moronic right wing extremist nut jobs... there is nothing treasonous about merely observing that the obama administration clearly has screwed up, on a regular basis, in short order...
"what happened with all those democrats who condemned Bush for running up the deficit, but now think that Obama is perfectly okay in doing the same thing?"
Well, Obama's plan spreads money around this country to get people working again, which will in turn generate additional income tax revenue, as well as private spending, which will also generate new tax revenue, which ultimately help in reducing the deficits going foward.
Bush spent nearly a trillion attacking a country which posed absolutely no threat to this country, cut taxes in a manner that reduced them significantly more for the rich, looked the other way at big tax cheats (cuz they'll just find loopholes, don't ya know), and actually had the tea bags to insult the full faith and credit of the United States by calling our bonds just a bunch of worthless IOUs. The result are the huge deficits you see today.
And those were just Bush's financial mistakes and blunders. (And just a few of 'em.)
Targetted spending to work toward putting people back to work and reducing deficits, and taking big palletes of money out into the backyard and setting them aflame. You see the difference, right?
And, there's also the point that had Bush not so horribly screwed stuff up and run such high deficits with nothing to show for it, Obama wouldn't have to focus so much of his efforts on trying to fix Bush's mess.
FOX NO LONGER PRETENDS TO BE FAIR AND BALANCED - THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING....FOX HAS TAKEN TO BUNDLING: 1. PERCEIVED LIBERAL HATRED OF BUSH (AND NOW VOWS REVENGE ON OBAMA) 2. PERCEIVED LIBERAL HATRED OF AMERICA AND ITS TROOPS (BECAUSE LIBERALS PROTESTED FOR THE LIVES OF US TROOPS) 3. CONSERVATIVE HATRED FOR THE ARTS AND SCIENCES (BECAUSE THIS IS COMPLETELY INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO THEM, ON ANY LEVEL) AND 4. PURE RACISM - AND NOW FOX DISTRIBUTES THIS 'BUNDLED' HATE-THINK, DISGUISED AS PATRIOTISM, AND CARES NOT THAT IT IS NOW LEADING THRONGS OF IMBECILIC 'AMERICANS' INTO VERY DANGEROUS WATERS - ALL OF THIS FOR A HANDFUL OF VERY EVIL NEO-CONSERVATIVE DEMONS....FOXNEWS HAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED ITSELF THE EPICENTER OF HATRED IN AMERICA
Do you think that yelling makes something true? I mean that's a whole lot of typing but not a single substantive fact can be found in the entire thread. Seriously, that's hard to do! At least you and your kind called the peaceful protestors tea baggers, and nut lickers, etc. Class to the end, and Fox is the voice of hatred eh? Olberman and Garofalo would be so proud.
Pure and simply, desperate actions by desperate people.
No, this is the beginning. See, you need to look at numbers. 70% of ALL taxes in this country are paid by 10% of the pop'l. 50+% of the country pays NO taxes. Can you see where the desperation may be. Ever hear of "no taxation without representation"? Who's represents the new minority, the tax payer? Obeyme? Atlas will shrug be it secession, ex-patriation en masse, massive Congressional turn over in 2010 or even revolution. you CAN'T impose on a minority of the pop'l to this extent without there being a response. Anyone else see the irony of a black man economically enslaving the entire next generation of kids, well at least the productive smart kids willing to work.
Myths: The working poor are not "smart/willing to work."
The working poor are not "achievers."
The working poor are not "productive."
The working poor "don't pay taxes."
There are people teaching complex math skills in high schools who make $23,000/yr, thus qualifying for food stamps. I know them. They have taxes taken out of their pay checks every week. If they get a refund from the IRS at the end of the year, it isn't a hand-out; it's a belated recognition of the fact that they have subsidized the wealthy class by working for sub-standard wages all year (in effect a hidden tax).
I think it would be very interesting to see a secession by that top 10% of the population. Who will clean their toilets? wash the limo? change the kid's poopy diapers? maintain the pool? mop the floors? in "Secession Land?" Scarlett O'Hara might have to get her hands dirty. Go for it.
Who would do it? PLENTY !! Meanwhile, who would pay for your retirement (social insecurity), hire you, pay for your healthcare, pay for your welfare, pay for your military, pay for your roads, police, fire dept. etc etc etc. The illegals already do many of the tasks you mention because they want to work. The working poor get a tax refund triple what they contributed. It's welfare/re-distribution. Mayor Bllomberg of NY has a MUCH greater understanding of the need to keep the productive members of society. Look at his recent quote (hint, use Connecticut, 1500 and taxes in your search engine).
Give me a break about the teacher example. Care to be fraudulent more? The avergae teacher salary is $40,000+ AND has the perks of having nearly a third of the year OFF AND perhaps one of the best pension packages on the planet. You can't discuss issues if your only goal is to achieve a "victory" at the expense of honesty and integrity.
Plus. lets look at the victim mentality here. What's keeping this poor suffering teacher from starting a business, tutoring for more money, working at a college, using math knowledge to go to an advanced degree? He has CHOICES !! Stop being intellectually immature.
I guess if you don't really have a rebuttal you simply declare the other party a liar and run away. Those teachers absolutely make $23,000...I did their taxes and saw the W2s. I doubt most tea baggers would last a day in those high schools, btw. Especially the ones who are below "avergae" and are fans of Mayor "Bllomberg."
And...you might want to get your story straight. Do you like illegals or don't you? "They want to work," you say and you're happy with them working for slave wages. But then your talking points leaders tell you that they're bad, law breaking desperados. Which is it? Are teachers "stupid" for working for low wages because they love kids, but illegals are "smart" for working for the same low wages?
Sorry, Miss Scarlett, the plantation will never be as "chah-min'" as it was in the good ol' days, when people knew their place and didn't get uppity.
50+% of the country pays NO taxes.
Are you including sales tax, excise tax, gasoline tax etc.
Thought not.
I see that fortheforum6524 vanished. Aunt Pitty-Pat must have called Scarlett down to the parlor, where Rhett Butler was waiting with a tea bag or two.
OK. So here we go. Now listen up all you dummoheads, er, I mean dittoheads, and Hannity sheep, and all of you other followers of the Fox/Right Wing Talk group. Here are the facts behind our current National Debt.
1. The National Debt under W. Clinton rose $1.610 trillion from the time he took office to when he left. That increase represents a 39.6% growth. Under G. W. Bush, the National Debt grew $4.351 trillion or a staggering 76.7%. The Bush Administration managed to almost double the National Debt with their idiotic economic programs (you know, the ones where taxes were lowered for the wealthy during time of war, and increased spending without revenues to pay for them).
2. Here's the real kicker. Under the R. Reagan Administration, the National Debt rose $1.695 trillion which is, now hold on to your hat, a staggering 186.7% increase. When coupled with G.H.W. Bush's Administration, which saw the National Debt rise another $1.462 trillion or 56.2%, the combined 12 year Republican Administrations from 1981 through 1992 saw the National Debt rise $3.157 trillion which is an increase of 347.8% from the end of the Carter Administration.
Bush made every effort to wreck the American economy; now Obama is doing what is necessary to salvage it. But, you only absorb the pasture patties fed to you by Fox and Friends.
First, Sean Hannity is not a news anchor. He is a commentator. As are O'Reilley and Beck.
People on this blog site believe that anything other than making fun of the Tea Party attendees is biased.
It is NEWS when 260,000+ citizens of the US gather to protest government spending. It is not only part of US Constitution, it was utilized by our founding fathers to help create this great nation. The intellectual dishonesty put forth by the authors of this blog and the comment writers is staggering.
Is it more news-worthy when Anderson Cooper makes a disgusting sexual reference to citizens of the US like myself? How about Olbermann? Mathews? Why not report on the news from both sides? What are the progressives afraid of? Truth?
The founding fathers said the success of this nation is dependent on an educated electorate. What we have on this site is sheeple.