Category Archives: The Press

A Cut Above

I’ve always thought Brit Hume was a cut above the rest in the national press. Today, I learn he is moving on to other things. The news is a little old, but I just read it. In Reuters interview with Hume, he says, “I was kind of a nominal Christian for the longest time. When my son died (by suicide in 1998), I came to Christ in a way that was very meaningful to me. If a person is a Christian and tries to face up to the implications of what you say you believe, it’s a pretty big thing. If you do it part time, you’re not really living it.”

Why do I bother writing novels?

Liberals just go ahead and write my fiction for me.

Heard about that St. Olaf College professor who bragged on the Huffington Post about stealing people’s McCain/Palin signs?

He’s “resigned” from the college now. Some things go over the line, even for mainline Lutheran colleges.

Busse provided the Northfield News with a statement expressing some remorse for his criminal acts, but said “I’m disappointed that most readers [of his Huffpo piece] seem to have focused on the thefts, and not on the larger thoughts” of civil disobedience.

“Laws? Laws are more important than ‘larger thoughts’ in the real world? Who knew?” (Hat tip: Townhall.com)

The Gag Rule

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) wants to reinstate The Fairness Doctrine. I believe that is the Democratic Party position also. Sen. Bingamen said, “I would want this station and all stations to have to present a balanced perspective and different points of view instead of always hammering away at one side of the political . . . I guess my thought is that talk radio and media generally should have a higher calling than just reflect a particular point of view. I think they should use their authority to try to – their broadcast power to present an informed discussion of public issues.”

But as you may already know, when they say “talk radio,” they really mean Rush Limbaugh.

Orson Scott Card on the mortgage crisis

Novelist Orson Scott Card, “a Democrat and a newspaper columnist” dares to mention the emperor’s distinct lack of clothing in a Mormon publication today:

This housing crisis didn’t come out of nowhere. It was not a vague emanation of the evil Bush administration.

It was a direct result of the political decision, back in the late 1990s, to loosen the rules of lending so that home loans would be more accessible to poor people. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were authorized to approve risky loans.

Orson, I’d upgrade my home security if I were you.

(Hat tip: Blue Crab Boulevard)

Did Someone Yell “Kill Him” at a McCain Rally?

Yesterday, we assumed someone yelled “kill him,” regarding Senator Obama, at a McCain rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Now, we should question the claim. John McCormack of The Weekly Standard writes: “This afternoon, I talked to David Singleton [the reporter who made this claim] on the phone. He told me that someone shouted ‘kill him’ ‘during the discussion by Chris Hackett of Senator Obama’s remarks about guns and religion, and how he needs to be educated about Pennsylvania.’ The shouter was ‘off to my right near the back of the crowd,’ Singleton said, but he ‘couldn’t identify who it was.'”

Apparently, no one else could verify the shout either. None of the Secret Service who were present. None of the over twenty diverse people asked about it. Makes you wonder if the reporter is being straight-forward, if he isn’t simply mistaken.

The NY Sun Ceases Publication

Today, readers will see the last edition of The New York Sun. “Under the leadership of the hawkish Lipsky and managing editor Ira Stoll, the Sun forcefully defended Israel, repeatedly sounded the alarm about Iran and backed President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. The paper also took political and socio-economic stances that were unpopular in a city teeming with Democrats. . . . Many readers also found its arts section sophisticated and accessible.” (via ArtsJournal)

The Anti-McCain Org

Roger Kimball suggests we–at least John McCain’s people should–ignore The New York Times because of its consistent anti-McCain reporting. He explains:

Here’s how the Times structures its non-stories about John McCain:

1. Prissy introductory sentence or two noting that Mr. McCain has a reputation [read “unearned reputation”] for taking the ethical high road on issues like campaign finance reform.

2. “The-Times-has-learned” sentence intimating some tort or misbehavior.

3. A paragraph or two of exposition that simultaneously reveals that a) Mr. McCain actually didn’t do anything wrong but b) he would have if only the law had been different and besides everyone knows he is guilty in spirit.

Olbermann, Matthews Will No Longer Cover Presidential Campaign

MSNBC has replaced Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews after what appears to be several instances of unprofessional behavior and liberal invectives. Olbermann was reportedly “very uncomfortable” during the Republican Convention. I gather Matthews got a bit tense lately too (more so than usual). David Gregory will replace the two men, which perhaps means he is twice the liberal as either of the first two.

I can’t help it

I know I’ve become appallingly predictable, linking to everything Andrew Klavan writes, but I swear, I can’t help this one. In this Washington Post editorial, he puts his finger directly–exactly–on the problem today, not only with Hollywood, but with the arts in general and society in even more general.

The left has somehow succeeded in convincing the rest of us that there is virtue in a culture of lies, that some truths should not be spoken and that if you speak them you are guilty of racism or sexism or some other kind of bigotry. Right-wingers may disagree philosophically with this sort of political correctness, but I think they may have incorporated some of its twisted values psychologically and walk in fear of seeming “offensive” or “insensitive.”

The Bible has harsh words about those who call good evil, and evil good. I believe that this error, at its extreme, is the sin against the Holy Spirit.