News and Views is a twice-weekly column containing an assortment of interesting state, national and international political and financial information, opinions, candidate reviews, scheduled events, Tea Party information, meetings and press releases that we hope will interest you. We will now offer a special section segregating media bias and Hollywood bias to give the reader a better idea of how prevalent it is.
The entire 2012 campaign in 1 paragraph
“The problems we face today exist because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.”
ABC Ignores Its Own Poll Showing ‘Sharp Advances’ for Mitt Romney Among Women: A new ABC News/Washington Post poll found Mitt Romney has made “sharp advances” with women. But you wouldn’t know it from watching the ABC network.
Wednesday’s World News and Nightline, as well as Thursday’s Good Morning America skipped covering the Republican’s steep gains.
The Washington Post put the story on its front page. ABC, however, relegated it to the network’s website. There, reporter Gary Langer explained, “A sharp advance among women has boosted Mitt Romney to his highest favorability rating of the presidential campaign.”
Langer added that while Obama still beats Romney 52 to 41 percent in favorability, “that’s down from 21 points last month, giving Romney the better trajectory.”
By virtue of not covering the story, ABC also ignored this key data point, discussed in the Post story by reporters Jon Cohen and Krissah Thompson:
Independents in the new poll lean negative on both Romney and Obama. Among all registered voters, the two candidates draw split verdicts. On Obama, 49 percent of voters hold favorable views and 48 percent hold negative ones. For Romney, it is an even 44 percent on both sides of the question, marking the first time since January that voter sentiment has not tilted away from him.
While ABC couldn’t find time to report on Romney’s good news, Good Morning America devoted a full report to Justin Bieber visiting Norway.
A separate NBC poll found that Romney has now tied Obama in the key swing states of Nevada, Colorado and Iowa.
Deluded Americans Don’t Realize Their Taxes Are Too Low: “Like anorexics, who think they are grossly fat when they are very thin, the American body politic is suffering from a national version of body dysmorphia, with nearly half the country believing taxes are high, when they are comparatively and historically low.”
— Reuters global editor at large Chrystia Freeland in a column published May 25 in the International Herald Tribune.
Bahamas: New Prime Minister Announces Major Reforms
The new prime minister of the Bahamas recently announced ambitious plans to rejuvenate the economy and tackle the rising crime rate. But the world-wide economic downturn has hurt tourism, cutting government revenues and making it difficult to see how the new prime minister will fund everything he’s proposing: a national crime initiative, new border controls, education reform, health care for all, and renovations in downtown Nassau. The best way to fund these would be through oil exploration. But this must be carefully balanced with tourism, the biggest driver of the economy.
Kansas Governor Signs ‘Shariah Bill’ to Ban Islamic law: Republican Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed a bill aimed at keeping state courts and agencies from using Islamic or other non-U.S. laws when making decisions, his office said on Friday, drawing criticism from a national Muslim group. The bill makes it clear that Kansas courts will rely exclusively on the laws of our state and our nation; critics say it is discriminatory.
The law has been dubbed the “Shariah bill” because critics say it targets the Islamic legal code. Shariah, or Islamic law, covers all aspects of Muslim life, including religious obligations and financial dealings. Opponents of state bans say they could nullify wills or legal contracts between Muslims. Supporters said the law will reassure foreigners in Kansas that state laws and the U.S. Constitution would protect them. Opponents said it singled out Muslims for ridicule and was unnecessary because American laws prevail on U.S. soil.
Sherriene Jones-Sontag, a spokeswoman for the governor, said in an e-mail that the bill “makes it clear that Kansas courts will rely exclusively on the laws of our state and our nation when deciding cases and will not consider the laws of foreign jurisdictions.” Legislators supporting the bill said there were many cases around the country where judges or state agencies cited Shariah law in deciding cases, especially involving divorce-related custody and property matters where Islamic code differs from U.S. law.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington denounced the Kansas law and said it is considering legal action. About 20 states have considered similar legislation but the Kansas law is the only one signed in recent weeks, council spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said. “It’s unfortunate the governor chose to pander to the growing Islam-phobia in our society that has led to introduction of similar unconstitutional and un-American legislation in dozens of state legislatures,”
Hooper said legislators have often referred to Shariah law in supporting such legislation, but he said they take the word out of the bill to stave off legal challenges. The Kansas bill does not mention Shariah.
Federal courts struck down an Oklahoma law voters approved in 2010 that barred state judges from considering Shariah law in making decisions. The court called the law discriminatory.
Cong. Judy Biggert (R-IL 13th)
Bipartisanship on National Security and Veteran Spending
Speaking of our nation’s heroes, last night, the House approved the Fiscal Year 2013 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which holds the line on unnecessary spending, and prioritizes $71.7 billion for military and veteran programs. Passed with bipartisan support by a vote 407-12, the bill funds important military training, equipment, and infrastructure as well as veterans benefits programs.
VOW to Hire Heroes Act
As you may know, the U.S. Department of Labor recently reported that unemployment soared to 12.1% in 2011 among veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. That’s why it’s so important that we connect veterans with the resources available to put them on the road to employment. As part of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, there are new educational and job training benefits that will soon be available to veterans here in our community. To learn more about these programs and how to apply, click here.
Congressman Joe Walsh on latest jobs numbers: “We are better than this”
The latest jobs numbers from the Labor Department show the economy only created 69,000 jobs in May and the unemployment rate rising to 8.2% from 8.1%. These latest statistics add to the fears of many that the economy continues to falter.
In response, Congressman Joe Walsh stated, “We are better than this. Democrats in Washington and my opponent, Tammy Duckworth, continue to push for higher taxes and more regulations on job creators, while businesses are still struggling to hire Americans who need work.”
Walsh continued, “People in the 8th district are hurting. More individuals will lose their home this year than last year. We need to get our nation’s fiscal house in order, remove the threat Obamacare poses to small businesses and keep taxes low to give job creators the confidence they need to do what they do best: get our economy moving forward again.”
ICE News received this from long-time reader Ed J:
Dear Friends,
There are only a few months until Election Day, when the people will decide who will be the next President of the United States. The person elected will be the President of all Americans, not just the Democrats or the Republicans. It’s time that we all need to come together, Democrats and Republicans alike, in a bi-partisan effort for America.
If you support Mitt Romney, please drive with your headlights ON during the day.
If you support Barack Obama, please drive with your headlights OFF at night.
Together, we can make it happen. Thank you!
It just occurred to me…
With all the noise the media is making about Romney’s wealth, I don’t recall such bluster and hand-wringing over the Kennedy fortune.Or, for that matter, John Kerry. or the fact that John Kerry gave virtually nothing to charity while Romney gave something on the order of $4 million…in addition to his entire inheritance from his father.
Oh, wait, I just remembered. Romney is Republican.
Kerry and the Kennedys are Democrats.
Also, Romney worked for his money.
Kennedy inherited his.
And Kerry married it.
Never mind. Nothing to see here, folks.
Move along.
Hollywood & Media Bias
Leftist Media Slam Catholic Church: “Tool of the Far Right” “These bishops are in Mitt Romney’s pocket and the Republican Party’s pocket, and the Catholic Church has become a tool of the far political right in this country….And Benedict XVI is number one.”
— Former CNN and MSNBC host Bill Press on his Full Court Press radio show, simulcast on Current-TV, May 22, talking about the Church’s lawsuit against Obama’s health care mandates as a violation of religious liberty.
“Do you think they’re all Republican, the bishops?”
— Chris Matthews to liberal activist Sister Simone Campbell on MSNBC’s Hardball, May 21.
Washington Post Admits Dan Quayle was Right about Murphy Brown and Unmarried Moms
Many of you are probably too young to remember the flap over Vice President Dan Quayle’s comments in 1992 about unwed mothers. Here’s some of what the former vice president said: “Bearing babies irresponsibly is simply wrong. Failing to support children one has fathered is wrong. We must be unequivocal about this. It doesn’t help matters when prime-time TV has Murphy Brown, a character who supposedly epitomizes today’s intelligent, highly paid professional woman, mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone and calling it just another lifestyle choice.”
His comments generated as much heat as today’s contraceptive controversy and the Left’s claim that Republicans are at war with women. Surprisingly, the almost-always-liberal Washington Post has taken up Quayle’s cause, albeit 20 years too late: “Twenty years later, Quayle’s words seem less controversial than prophetic. The number of single parents in America has increased dramatically: The proportion of children born outside marriage has risen from roughly 30 percent in 1992 to 41 percent in 2009. For women under age 30, more than half of babies are born out of wedlock. A lifestyle once associated with poverty has become mainstream. The only group of parents for whom marriage continues to be the norm is the college-educated.”
Why did the former Vice President Quayle’s comments draw so much attention? First, he tied the worldview of today’s television programming to the problems that festered in so many communities across the nation that were told that the “Great Society” would save them. Second, his comments implicated Hollywood. He attacked the powerful media elite.
Third, Quayle made his comments to attract disenfranchised conservative voters. His comments were seen as political (as if liberal policy statements aren’t). Fourth, he sought to slaughter the sacred cow of moral pluralism when he attacked the idea that bearing a child alone is “just another ‘lifestyle choice.’”
This is the real rub. Diane English, the executive producer of Murphy Brown, had this to say about Quayle’s comments: “If the vice president thinks it’s disgraceful for an unmarried woman to bear a child, and if he believes that a woman cannot adequately raise a child without a father, then he’d better make sure abortion remains safe and legal.” Of course, Quayle didn’t say it was disgraceful for an unmarried woman to bear a child; he said it was irresponsible, a point that had been made by others.
Prior to Quayle’s address, even those from the liberal camp echoed his sentiments. For example, Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, described by U.S. News & World Report as “a left‑leaning researcher for the Institute for American Values,” penned the following in the Washington Post: “‘Murphy Brown’ . . . celebrate[s] unwed motherhood as a glamorous lifestyle.”
Little has changed in 20 years. Hollywood types have made unwed motherhood fashionable. Well, it’s not fashionable for a teenager or a welfare mom, especially when the tax payers have to pay for their fashion statement.
After Spiking Catholic Lawsuit Against Obama, Networks Unleash Avalanche of Stories Hyping Vatican ‘Scandal’
While the networks largely ignored 43 Catholic institutions suing the Obama administration over the ObamaCare contraception mandate, since news broke on May 25 of the Pope’s butler leaking classified Vatican documents, those same networks saw fit to provide 13 stories in 5 days proclaiming “another black eye for the Vatican” and supposed “corruption at some of the highest levels.” [Listen to the audio]
ABC News lead the charge, with a total of six reports from May 26 through 28. NBC followed close behind with five reports, one of which was a news brief, from May 25 through 29. CBS had the lightest coverage of the controversy, with only two reports on May 28. CBS was also the only one of the three networks to provide any coverage of the Catholic lawsuit, offering a 19-second news brief on the May 21 Evening News and an interview with Cardinal Timothy Dolan on the May 23 This Morning.
Having completely skipped the Church fighting for religious liberty, ABC and NBC seemed to delight in reporting every salacious detail of the Vatican leaks. On Tuesday’s NBC Today, correspondent Michelle Kosinski touted a nickname in Rome for the incident: “Here they’re calling it ‘Vatileaks.’” During a report on Sunday’s Today, correspondent Duncan Golestani remarked that the whole affair was “like something from a Hollywood movie,” followed by a clip of the conspiratorial anti-Catholic film Angels & Demons.
ABC made the Angels & Demons comparison three times in its coverage, with correspondent Jeffrey Kofman declaring on Sunday’s Good Morning America: “All of this talk of conspiracy and palace intrigues sound much like a Dan Brown novel….There are similar scenes in his book ‘Angels and Demons.’ But this is very real….Years ago, Vatican conspirators used to poison their enemies. Today, it’s a little more subtle. They leak to the media.”
All three networks used highly charged language to portray the Church as some sort of criminal enterprise. On Friday’s NBC Nightly News, correspondent Jim Maceda wrapped up his report by ominously asserting: “…the alleged leaks by the man closest to the Pope may have lifted another veil on the secretive and perhaps illegal activity inside the Vatican itself.”
In a report for Saturday’s ABC World News, Kofman described how the leaks,”include searing allegations of corruption and cronyism at the Vatican Bank, a bizarre plot to kill the Pope allegedly by a cardinal hoping to succeed him, and a nasty power struggle between Vatican reformers and those who want nothing to change.”
On Monday’s CBS Evening News, correspondent Charile Daggett explained that the butler has been “accused of leaking letters and memos to Italian journalists that allegedly show corruption in the Church’s financial dealings with Italian businesses, including money laundering and kickbacks.”
The liberal media only seems to be interested in covering the Catholic Church when some type scandal is involved. Not only did the networks avoid covering the ObamaCare lawsuit, but shortly after it was filed they enthusiastically promoted a story designed to undermine the Church’s authority.
While CBS did provide the only coverage of the lawsuit, it followed that minimal reporting with a May 24 Evening News story about “predator priests” on trial in Philadelphia.
Appearing on the May 27 Fox News Sunday, Washington D.C. Cardinal Donald Wuerl commented on the stunning media double standard: “…they’re focusing so much attention right now on the Pope’s butler. It seems to me that somehow they’ve missed the boat. They’ve missed the story.”
Letterman Firmly In Obama’s Corner: “The day after the 9/11 attacks, the number one priority in America, if not the world, was we’ve got to get bin Laden, we’ve got to get bin Laden. So eight years go by, we still haven’t got bin Laden. George W. Bush at one point said, well, he doesn’t really think too much about bin Laden. In the interim, we invaded Afghanistan then we invaded Iraq because Cheney wanted to help out his buddies at Brown and Root and Halliburton….and grab up all the oil. I think that they went soft on the project because they were worried about upsetting their Saudi Arabian royalty buddies. So now Osama bin Laden finally is gunned down by Barack Obama, displaying great courage and great intelligence. What more do you want to lead your country than that kind of courage and that kind of intelligence?”
— Host David Letterman to NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams on the May 15 CBS Late Show.
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