Few things are more boring than watching journalists talk about journalism, but yesterday's George Stephanopolous roundtable on Barack Obama's publicly declared war with Fox News shows how the nation's most charismatic previous president handled the press without being heavy-handed or thin-skinned about it.
The staff of former Clinton press secretary Stephanopolous dredged up a clip of John F. Kennedy from May 1962. Asked at a press conference how he thought the press was treating his administration and "the issues of the day," the president who used to sleep Marilyn Monroe said (transcript):
Well, I am reading more and enjoying it less--(laughter)--and so on, but I have not complained nor do I plan to make any general complaints. I read, and talk to myself about it, but I don't plan to issue any general statement of the press. I think that they are doing their task, as a critical branch, the fourth estate, and I am attempting to do mine, and we are going to live together for a period, and then go our separate ways. (more laughter)
Not that JFK let all propagandists off so lightly. During that same press conference, JFK blistered corporate crookedness regarding a tax bill:
The paid advertisements and circulars financed by the savings and loan associations, who have made great profits in recent years and paid very little in taxes -- I think something like five and a half billion dollars, while paying 70 million dollars in taxes -- by banks and others, have led many people to believe: one, that this is a new tax or a tax increase; two, that it will take money unjustly from honest taxpayers; three, that it will create a mountain of red tape costing more than it will bring in; and four, that it will harm the elderly, the widows and orphans, or others on low income.
10 comment(s)
really? i mean, you seem to be arguing that the media environment is roughly the same as it was in the sixties, and a president should behave in a similar fashion. you don't think the rise of partisan opinion outlets masking as news organizations has anything to do with the president's treatment of fox? a changing media sphere necessitates different handling. previous administrations (ahem, bush) have frequently called out "liberal" media bias and the press simply shamefacedly hung its head rather than asking whether or not this was appropriate.
Posted On: Monday, Oct. 26 2009 @ 4:01PMI didn't see JFK laughing when he was hit in the head while riding down Elm Street in Dallas a year after this press interview. If he hadn't treated his enemies so cavalier and instead turn the Department of Justice on the economic elite who were plotting his death, he would have lived another 40 years. Obama better take heed. jfkcia.com
Posted On: Monday, Oct. 26 2009 @ 11:40PMThe miserable bastards on the right can dish it out but when someone fights back they cry, "No fair, you're picking on us."
Rush comes out with news about Obama's anti-American thesis that winds up being a total hoax and like Emily Litella on Saturday Night Live he says : "Oh, never mind!" and doesn't even apologize. Let's not forget what he said about Vince Foster -- that he was found dead in an apt. owned by Hillary Clinton (during Bill's presidency). It's kind of like the Nazis' propaganda.
"If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth. "
— Joseph Goebbels
Sound familiar? How about "flip flop, flip flop" when Kerry was running, not to mention the swift boat controversy.
How about: "They'll pull the plug on Grandma!!"
or: "It's socialism!!"
Jesus said to beware of wolves in sheep's clothing.
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves"
I think we should HEED HIS ADVICE.
You think the Republican Conservatives own the moral high ground? Think again and don't be a sheep.
MUCHOGROUCHO
Posted On: Tuesday, Oct. 27 2009 @ 12:32PMNYC
This is a case of someone with Myscular Dystrophy whose insurance Gaurdian has dropped due to his condition (Washington Post(?) Oct 14 2009 . . ."and that even Medicaid and Medicare do not cover 24-hour home nursing. His parents, Warren and Linda Pearl of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said their health insurance premiums had risen over the years to $3,700 a month."
The article continues :"As a last resort, Mr. Pearl would be admitted to a state hospital under Medicaid. But the Pearls consider that a death sentence."
Posted On: Wednesday, Oct. 28 2009 @ 12:35AMThe above in a quote from the Washington Post Oct 14 article. you may want to read the article more closely, Groucho. Last I checked Medicaid and Medicare are government agencies and state hospitials are -- well, groucho they are run by the state. Shocking. I don't see you complaining about the evil government not covering this type of condition or doing a terrible job of it. If this is the future of our coverage under government control (which I think it is-) then we are in we're better off with other types of changes which the Republicans have proposed and just for the record blue dog Democrats are against the public option for the same reason Republicans are"I'm here from the government and I'm here to help you".Think of the security Democrats have promised us and ask yourself how secure that ponsi scheme is.) This type of situation(Mr Pearl's terrible plight) is a problem for any nation or company and only the self righeous can't see the difficulties involved. Think this through if the government is so good at healthcare why didn't Medicare Medicaid simply take Pearls . . . tick tick tick. Time's up. It is because the government (even without a profit margin) have limited resourses just like the private company has limits with a profit margin. Gaurdian insurance had a 450 million profit - if it had 450 cases like this poor man the company goes broke and everyone else covered by Gaurdian now has no coverage. These type of cases should have some sort of catastrophic insurance which is how Medicare acts like but in the words of the Pearl parents it would be a "death sentence". And Groucho,that would mean that Medicare would be pulling the plug on Mr. Pearl and he's not even grandma.
jfk laughed cause he was having sex with ben bradlee's sister....the media knew enought to censor jfk's fuckin around.
JACKIE WAS THE PIT BULL----SHE HAD AN ENEMIES LIST.
Posted On: Wednesday, Oct. 28 2009 @ 9:59AMGroucho - you did get it correct about "the Clintons murdered Vince Foster" silliness. This is the same mentality of the "truthers"- and those who accuse Bush 2 of lying about WMDs (google dems and western intel agencies who thought Saddam possessed WMDs. The same dems who stated they thought Saddam possessed WMDs accused Bush of lying. They lied themselves. But I wouldn't expect you, groucho to hold Democrats to the same standard that you hold the evil Republicans.
Posted On: Thursday, Oct. 29 2009 @ 12:24AMKerry however did flip flop - His position on the 2003 war on Iraq was diametrically opposed to his position to the 91 Iraq war. In 2003 Kerry insisted on a coalition with the United Nations- but in 1991 when Saddam invaded Kwaite (sp) when Bush 1 did have a United Nations Coalition and world opinion behind us - Kerry voted against the US fighting with the coalition to oust Iraq out. I give Kerry the benefit of the doubt - he was probably representing the people of his state - but it was a flip flop. As for the swift boaters - I think Kerry made many Vietnam Vets mad. He stated that "we" including himself - murdered children. If Kerry murdered children he was not fit for the presidency and if he didn't (I think it was pretty clear he was using the prophetic "we" to soften the accusation - meaning he was taking responsibility and holding himself guilty by taking part by fighting in the Vietnam war and not that he murdered children personaly). Having said that the Vietnam vets took great umbrage at the accusation. Imagine groucho, fighting in vietnam only to come home to hear Kerry calling you a murderer. Many vets didn't mind critizising the wisdom of fighting in Nam - but were hurt by the accusation of murder. They didn't want someone who could lay this charge so cavalierly against American forces being the commander in chief. The swift boaters were not exactly mouth foamed liars but had reasonable objections and those who accused him of flip flopping may have been wrong on the 2001 flip but not on the 91 flop.
First of all - the two wars were different. Iraq INVADED KUWAIT!!! Hello??? Secondly when conditions change, the bill changes whatever - Kerry changes his positioning. But say flip flop enough times - and wave the stupid flip flop[ fans like the Repiglicans did at their convention and the American Sheep will follow.
And -
It wasn't that the Swift Boat guys were angry etc...it was that SOMEONE was lying about the events that happened there where Kerry took some gunfire and those vets said it never happen.
Let's take a guess at who is lying? Kerry or the guys that are angry at his anti-war comments and wanted to discredit him and the Republican strategists who care less about the truth than they do the American people.
And the topic here is about the media.....about how Fox news is crying "wah, wah - the Whitehouse is picking on us".
Like Glenn Beck about the Nunn's MAo comment - but no one complained when Bush the Boy King 2 gave Karl Rove Mao's Bio to read. Wah wah wah -
Here's her quote not taken out of context as is the custom of the right:
In 1947, when Mao Tse-tung was being challenged within his own party on his plan to basically take China over, the Nationalist Chinese helped the cities, they had the army, they had the Air Force, they had everything on their side. And people said, “How can you win? How can you do this? How can you do this? Against all the odds against you?” And Mao Tse-tung said, “You fight your war and I’ll fight mine,” and think about that for a second.
Glenn Beck should start drinking again. He was probably a lot more sane then he is now.
muchogroucho
nyc
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 1:50PM"First of all - the two wars were different. Iraq INVADED KUWAIT!!! Hello??? " That is my point Kerry stated he would be for the 2003 Iraq war if we had the UN and other nations agree that it was the right thing to do. But when Iraq invaded Kuwait Serry voted against the US going in with the UN coalition. He may not have flip flopped on the 2003 war - but he flipped flopped between the 91 and 03 Iraq war. By Kerrys threshold in 2003 was: if the US only had a UN coalition Kerry would have been for the 2003 war - but when that same standard was met in 91 (when Iraq invaded Kuwait- invation of another nation being a more serious threat to middle east and world stability) Kerry voted against it. The American people caught on to this flip flop although you have a problem following due to your own anger issues I believe.
Posted On: Monday, Nov. 2 2009 @ 12:28AMgrouchy wrote:"Like Glenn Beck about the Nunn's MAo comment - but no one complained when Bush the Boy King 2 gave Karl Rove Mao's Bio to read. Wah wah wah"
Posted On: Monday, Nov. 2 2009 @ 12:45AMYou and your lib buddies have been saying for eight years that Bush is dumb and has no intellectual curiosity. You guys have been saying for eight years that Bush does not read books. Am I making this up?? Suddenly he is a Yoda with Machevelli inclinations? Suddenly he's been reading for the past 20 years and having stimulating conversations? Which one were you lying about - that Bush hadn't read books or that he was reading all along. "Bush is dumb" yet he outsmarted us by lying to us about WMDs. If the guy who you consider dumb is fooling people - wouldn't the people he's fooling be dumber than the one fooling them on such a consistant basis? Not, if you are going by leftie rules. Dunn stated that Mao was one of her favorite philosophers. Bush reads a book on Mao and the left considers that proff that he considers Mao a favorite philosopher. The assumption you come in with is Bush is manevolent. Again for clarity's sake -you used to say Bush is Dumb and uninterested in reading was that a mistake on your part or a lie on your part? My guess is that you'll obfiscate by bringing up watergate or nixon or Haliburton.
Mao says- "Grouchy let me quote Dunn's other favorite philospher 'Make your words soft and sweet in case you have to eat them"
Posted On: Wednesday, Nov. 4 2009 @ 9:47PM