The Continuing Saga of Fox News Derangement Syndrome November 7, 2009

I do not have much time to write today but I wanted to make sure that everyone has seen this article in yesterday’s Los Angeles Times concerning the Obama administration and FOX News:

Democratic consultant says he got a warning from White House after appearing on Fox News

‘We better not see you on again,’ the strategist says he was told by a White House official. Obama aides have taken an aggressive stance against the network and may be seeking to isolate it.

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Democratic consultant says he got a warning from White House after appearing on Fox News

‘We better not see you on again,’ the strategist says he was told by a White House official. Obama aides have taken an aggressive stance against the network and may be seeking to isolate it.

By Peter Nicholas Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 6, 2009 | 8:59 a.m.

Reporting from Washington – At least one Democratic political strategist has gotten a blunt warning from the White House to never appear on Fox News Channel, an outlet that presidential aides have depicted as not so much a news-gathering operation as a political opponent bent on damaging the Obama administration.

Political consultants are a staple of cable television talk shows, analyzing current events based on their own experiences working on campaigns or in government.

One Democratic strategist said that shortly after an appearance on Fox, he got a phone call from a White House official telling him not to be a guest on the show again. The call had an intimidating tone, he said.

The message was, ” ‘We better not see you on again,’ ” said the strategist, who spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to run afoul of the White House. An implicit suggestion, he said, was that “clients might stop using you if you continue.”

In urging Democratic consultants to spurn Fox, White House officials might be trying to isolate the network and make it appear more partisan.

A boycott by Democratic strategists could also help drive the White House narrative that Fox is a fundamentally different creature than the other TV news networks. For their part, White House officials appear on Fox News — but sporadically and with “eyes wide open,” as one aide put it.

David Plouffe, the president’s campaign manager and author of a new campaign book, “The Audacity to Win,” was scheduled to appear on Fox’s “On the Record” with Greta Van Susteren Thursday night as he promotes his book. His appearance, preempted by the breaking news of the shootings at Ft. Hood, Texas, has been rescheduled for Monday.

White House Communications Director Anita Dunn said Thursday night that she had checked with colleagues who “deal with TV issues” and they had not told people to avoid Fox. On the contrary, they had urged people to appear on the network, Dunn wrote in an e-mail.

But Patrick Caddell, a Fox News contributor and a former pollster for President Carter, said he has spoken to Democratic consultants who have been told by the White House to avoid appearances on Fox. He declined to give their names…

And here we thought blacklisting was over with after the McCarthy era.

Autographed Letter Signed,

AFROCITY

Diversity Fatigue Friday: (No Pun Intended) Country First not Political Correctness November 6, 2009

From I own the world

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the Fort Hood Massacre. We cannot begin to realize the depth of your sorrow.

The miracle in this piece is that the shooter Nidal Malik Hasan is alive and can face punishment for this heinous act. Thank you to the female soldier who brought him down.

My brother was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas for six years. I lived with him there for three of those years. I fondly remember Fort Hood as a close knit military community.

I made friends with the local teens, often babysitting for the Army wives.

The Gulf War was taking place during that August of 1990. There was that familiar and understandable presence of tension and worry throughout the community. Fathers, daughters, partners and husbands leaving but not for Reforger exercises this time. They were going to a land we were unsure of.

A lesbian couple lived next door to us in Killeen, Texas which was the town surrounding Fort Hood. Tony and Toni were their names. We called them the two Toni’s.

One Tony was in the military, the other Toni was a school teacher.Their poignant goodbye kiss was a memorable event in my life. Both women had survived their own personal wars.

Toni had a fifteen year old son from her dissolved heterosexual marriage. Like most teenagers, Toni’s son had trouble adjusting to his mother’s life without dad…and life with another woman. There was a relative decaying of the emotions between mother and son which negatively impacted the couple.

The other Tony being an officer, had worked hard to get beyond the harassment she faced in the military. The little cottage in Killeen was a new start for her. Now she had to leave for the Gulf War.  I could see the acute anxiety Tony was facing as she wanted desperately to stay home and nurture her new relationship with Toni and possibly win over the teenager. She played hoops with him several times, they worked on cars together in the garage…maybe if they had more time…

Being a just a neighbor, I only saw Tony through our “good fences” as she tossed marinated meat on the backyard smoker or mowed the St. Augustine lawn. There were several times that she spoke to me about life in the Army and discrimination against women- particularly lesbians. She just wanted to rest, to stay home. Her loyalty to her country constituted a gift for America but a curse for her personal life. One Toni demonized the name of George H.W. Bush. The other Tony did not.  She was a servicewoman, an officer in the United States Army. It was her duty to go to Kuwait.

The goodbye of the Toni’s served as tangible proof of their caring relationship. As lesbians living in a military community, the women never displayed affection for one another publicly.

On this day  of their parting, things were different.

I watched shamelessly as the cab came for Tony.

Toni was sobbing endlessly while her son stood at the driveway motionless. He watched as his mother kissed a woman, her lover and partner in life. Tony waved at the boy. He only nodded which angered me. In his lack of emotion, this child was denying his mother and Tony the possibility and comfort of his empathy. More importantly, a denial of their desire to be seen as a couple being torn apart by one’s duty to her country. They were real people, real Americans. Tony was a patriot.

I mention this story of the Fort Hood community because many of my liberal friends fail to see that soldiers are people that carry tremendous burdens and a deep sense of honor, especially towards their fellow servicemen.

This is why I find it difficult to understand the actions of Major Hasan.  The mainstream media spin is now attributing his behavior to his fear of deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. My liberal anti-war friends are blaming the incident on Bush and the consequences of America’s sins in Iraq.  For most if not all of us, expressing sympathy for the victims should come naturally. NOT THE SHOOTER. Remember who the victims are. Innocent people. Nidal Hasan is a coward.

Before Thursday’s shooting, Hasan reportedly gave away all of his furniture along with copies of the Koran to neighbors, KXXV-TV reported.

Sounds to me as if he knew he would not be coming home…Much like a suicide planning. He could have went AWOL and spared the lives of others. While it is difficult to assess Hasan’s true motives, make no mistake that this man is NOT A GOOD AMERICAN contrary to what his cousin said on Fox News last night.

Nidal’s  cousin offers the excuse that he was harassed by his Army colleagues due to his Middle Eastern ethnicity: “He was dealing with some harassment from his military colleagues.”

This is no excuse. As a psychiatrist in the Army, Hasan was well aware of the proper military channels for dealing with harassment and stress. He was a coward.

Country before political correctness. Hasan is a coward and traitor to our country.

Autographed Letter Signed,

AFROCITY

Something Lighter: Why Conservatives Don’t Need A Leader or a Third Party November 5, 2009

After our victory on election day, we deserve to gloat

 

Image from Big Fur Hat

And the latest installment from conservative comic ZONATION:

 

Overconfidence seems to have dulled the faculties usually so alert November 4, 2009

The title of today’s post is taken from a quote said by  Senator Smith, on Captain E.J. Smith of the ill-fated Titanic.

After last night’s GOP wins in Virginia and New Jersey, the hope n’ change crew are all on deck denying everything

From this article in Townhall.com

Image from I Own The World.com

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

White House: Tuesday’s GOP wins not about Obama

The White House says that Republican wins in two governors’ races were not referendums on the president.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Wednesday that voters went to the polls in Virginia and New Jersey to work through “very local issues that didn’t involve the president.” The presidential spokesman said voters were concerned about the economy. He said “I don’t think the president needed an election or an exit poll to come to that conclusion.”

By contrast, Gibbs acknowledged that the 2010 midterm congressional elections will be more about the Obama agenda.

Republicans turned aside Democratic candidates in both states, raising questions about the limits of the president’s influence on his party’s base of support and on the moderate lawmakers he needs to advance his legislative priorities.

Gibbs noted that Democrats did win two special elections for congressional seats, in California and New York.

Gibbs said Obama telephoned both Democratic losers, incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine in New Jersey and candidate Creigh Deeds in Virginia, Tuesday night. But Gibbs said Obama has not yet called the two GOP gubernatorial winners because he wanted to let them celebrate with family and supporters.

Well at any rate it is over for Corzine because the fat guy did sing.

Autographed Letter Signed,

AFROCITY

Sleeping With The “DEM-EMIES”: I am a Moderate, Not A Fool November 3, 2009

This is what Happens to moderate Republicans when they listen to sweet talk from Democrats

By the summer of 2009, I had given up on trying to conceal my political orientation from liberal friends. Tired of the frustration when it comes to listening to Palin jokes, cracks about religious zealots, “tea baggers”, and racists, I outed myself.  Now life is much happier and I no longer have to listen to the liberal whining about evil Republicans and how they are racist against Obama and want all of the poor people to die.

Having said that, I will be damned if I am going to conceal my liberal views on abortion and gay marriage from my fellow conservatives.

No more hiding for Afrocity.

Take me as I am or not at all.

If you are pro-choice, support gay marriage yet believe in the right to bear arms and fiscal conservatism, you may be a moderate Republican.  For the purposes of this post, I will use the term  “Moderate Republican” as opposed to the more derogatory RINO (Republican In Name Only) because I believe that a RINO is someone who runs for office as a Republican, espouses to conservative values then once elected turns into a political jackass, both literally and  figuratively.  One cannot claim to be a fiscal conservative yet tax and spend our country into debt. Those are not fiscally conservative values.

Evolution of a RINO

For a moderates like me, the good news is that I have never had a problem from my party concerning my views on abortion or gay marriage. If you look at my blog roll, you will see that there are several links to Republicans who happen to be gay and or pro-choice. Liberals don’t want you to know that such animals exist but we do. Liberals want you to think that all Republicans hate gays, we are all against abortion. Not true.

Desperate to keep the negative stereotypes going, the Democrats will dribble on about how “out of touch” the Republicans are. The RINO’s will become pissed off that they cannot win elections and turn to to the Democrats for help, sometimes even endorsing them. From this article at Capital Confidential.com

Duprey on Scozzafava, women and moderates in the GOP

November 2, 2009

by Irene Jay Liu

Republican Assemblywoman and Clinton County GOP Chair Janet Duprey has a lot in common with Dede Scozzafava — they are both female, moderate Republicans who represent adjacent North Country Assembly districts.

Duprey was a strong supporter of Scozzafava’s congressional bid. From the outset, Duprey defended her Assembly colleague’s place on the Republican ticket. In an interview with the Press Republican, Duprey said:

“Our voting records are very similar, and I consider myself a good Republican,” Duprey said.

“She is fiscally conservative, and I think this is an example of the Republican Party being progressive and open to everybody.”

Duprey said Scozzafava has a proven record for supporting less government and less taxes, and helping small businesses.

“I think those views fall under the template of Republican,” Duprey said.

That was, of course, before Scozzafava suspended her campaign and endorsed the Democratic candidate, Bill Owen. Duprey issued a statement in her capacity as Clinton County GOP party chair, announcing that the committee decided to endorse the conservative candidate Doug Hoffman.

“Certainly its been a very surprising weekend. Dede made a very personal decision and I know that it was a very difficult decision for her,” said Duprey in an interview this afternoon.

Duprey did not criticize Scozzafava, who she called a “good friend,” as some of her other Republican colleagues have in the wake of the Owens endorsement. She declined to weigh in on whether Scozzafava should retain her post as Minority Whip Leader Pro Tempore in the Assembly Republican conference, saying: “I think there has to be an open discussion. I have a great deal of respect for (Assembly Republican Leader Brian Kolb)… Dede has done a great job as floor leader and yet I’m sure too, that Brian has to answer to a lot of voices.”

She did have a lot to say about the process that handed the GOP endorsement to Scozzafava and how the local race has been co-opted by national forces.

“Our process in the beginning I think was excellent. We held four public forums…they were each very well attended. We asked those committee to vote on who they would support…and Dede ended up being chosen  by the 11 county chairs,” Duprey said.

“Somewhere during this process, the whole local focus just got knocked out of the box. It’s been this media hype. It’s been all these celebrities, and national people, and PACS, and money — from everyone but the people who live in this congressional district —that have just taken over. I’m saying this about everybody – the Republican, Democratic, and Conservative Party candidate,” Duprey said.

“I think the system has been turned upside down,” she said. “My biggest hope for this election is that people who live in this district go to the polls in overwhelming numbers and vote, and show where they stand. To remind people that this is a local race about local issues.”

When asked what Scozzafava’s experience means for moderates in the Republican Party, Duprey said:

“Part of it is that I’m so close to it. It’s hard for me to give a solid analysis — it’s too raw. …I know how difficult this has been on Dede…. In my opinion, we made the right choice. She was an excellent candidate,” Duprey said.

She did, however, note that many Republicans, including former Gov. George Pataki, came out in support of Hoffman instead of Scozzafava.

“I give Newt Gingrich a lot of credit… for supporting her early and saying that the Republican Party needs to support moderate Republicans.”

“I can’t tell you why these other people did not rally around her. I truly hope that as we look back, we don’t find that the Republican Party doesn’t have a place for moderate Republicans. That will be too bad, for too many people,” she said.

And as for the role that gender may have played in Scozzafava’s experience, Duprey said:

“I hope not. And I guess that’s not a real answer. I remember those days when it was an issue. I started my career in politics in 1975…I went through that. I was the first woman to run in Clinton County. My children were very small at the time…I had some terrible experiences with some people who felt that a woman should not enter politics; a woman should not run,” Duprey said.

“I hope that we’ve moved beyond that point. But, I have to tell you, watching this go on, I’ve had some deja vu back to 1975. I don’t want to dwell on that and hope that the Republican Party has moved beyond that,” she said.

“It has been very difficult to watch,” Duprey said. “You have to ask some of these men, why weren’t they there with our Republican candidate when she could have really used our help?”

I am not familiar with Scozzafava but it seems to me in the final analysis her constituents did not want to elect her because she was claiming to be something she was not. Now she has endorsed a Democrat, which equates to suicide in the eyes of Republicans. Dede, do yourself a favor and switch parties.  Of course Sarah Palin would not endorse Scozzafava. Sarah is a conservative and would never endorse a sub-RINO. Why Newt Gingrinch endorsed Scozzafava, I will never know but it makes me think a lot less of him. Michael Steele I am not so surprised about because he is a moderate, however despite being a moderate myself, I would never endorse a Republican candidate that supported the stimulus package or Obamacare.

I may be a moderate but I am not a fool. Which means yes, in 2012 if Mitt Romney is the GOP nominee for POTUS I will vote for him. It is important that we stick together. I want those in power now to get OUT. I stopped voting with my ovaries last year and will never do so again. Country first.

Speaking of fools and Obamacare, here is the latest video parody from the conservatives entitled” Obamascare”

Autographed Letter Signed,

AFROCITY

Scary Movie: In Chicago Violence Against Women is Not A Costume November 2, 2009

Far from hindering liberal perception that Afrocity has been kidnapped by far right wing nuts and with my connection to a city that boasts abysmal murder rates, earlier this year I secured and registered a gun. On Halloween night, I watched the usual spooky movies. After watching Jamie Lee Curtis battle Mike Meyers in the closet for the thousandth time…I thought, this woman needs a gun. This phenomenal insight never transfers over to celluloid. Who walks in with the gun to save the day??? The patriarchy of course.

Men play games with guns. Women just get beat up.  I will not elaborate much on what was happening to another womea while I was sitting in front of my fireplace watching hair raising classic horror films and sipping mulled cider.  Cozy I was, as one young pregnant woman was shot while trick or treating with her three children. From the Chicago Tribune:

Pregnant mom shot while trick-or-treating with kids

November 1, 2009

A pregnant woman accompanying three children as they trick-or-treated in the Northwest Side’s Avondale neighborhood was shot Saturday night, and police believe the target of the shooting was a reputed gang member walking nearby.She remained hospitalized today, Kubiak said. Her baby did not have to be delivered prematurely and did not appear to be hurt in the incident.

The woman, eight months pregnant, was walking with her child and two nieces on Monticello Avenue near Belmont Avenue about 7 p.m. when shots rang out, said Chicago Police Officer Laura Kubiak. A bullet struck the 20-year-old mom in the back, and she was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition.

Investigators believe the man is a member of the Latin Kings street gang, and that the shots may have been meant for him in a gang-related dispute, Kubiak said. Police do not know where the gunfire originated and they do not have anyone in custody.

At the same time the woman was shot, another bullet struck an 18-year-old man in the right thigh as he walked on Belmont, police said.

There was a time when I never thought I would have a gun in my home.  My mother generally spoke against owning guns. As a teenager, I  saw enough ABC After School Specials to know that a gun in the home usually meant a child would find it and shoot their little sister. But I do not have a child and frankly I would like to be able to protect myself.  It seems that other women agree.

From CBS Channel 2 in Chicago:

Number Of Women Buying Handguns Increasing

October 27, 2009

Local gun shop owners say they’re seeing an increase in the number of women shoppers right now. The reasons, they say, are many, including the downturn in the economy and violence on the street.

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, about 48 percent of people taking their first handgun seminars this year happen to be women. CBS 2’s Pamela Jones reports on the growing trend.

“It’s very dangerous out there. I mean, there’s people getting robbed here and there,” said Josie Santiago. “It’s just for protection.”

Santiago says she’s always thinking about the danger lurking on the streets of the Chicago area. It’s a big reason why she visited Illinois Gun Works in Elmwood Park.

Not only did she shop for a new weapon, but she also wanted to find out about taking firearms training from the pros.

Sarah Palin demostrating that she has what it takes to be top gun.

On September 30th, 2009. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari to McDonald v. Chicago, a case where petitioners are asking to overturn a handgun ban, and other aspects of gun registration regulations affecting rifles and shotguns in Chicago.

I would like to know your thoughts on the matter. Let’s just say that Afrocity is rooting for the guy who had great fries.

Autographed Letter Signed,

AFROCITY

Ghosts Of Hope n’ Change Past: Haunted Houses October 31, 2009

Damn it feels good to be a renter. I may not have equity but every month I write one check that takes care of my rent, cable and electric bill. No assessments, no real estate taxes.

Halloween Eve I was all comfy, sitting by my light switch ready fireplace, bowl of microwave popcorn and dalmatian puppy in hand. The darkness of Lake Michigan could be seen from the window of my hi-rise apartment.  The original Amityville Horror was on television. Poor things, sinking all of that money into a house only to find that it harbors an invisible pig named Jodi and leaks blood just when you were planning the house warming to end all house warmings.

A homeowner is something I have never been. Afrocity moves around too much. When I have thought of it, watching the headaches that my condo owning friends had to endure was enough to scare me into being a lifetime renter.

Let’s just consider my failure to own as a Peter Pan/Wendy complex of sorts.  I can’t commit to a piece of property no matter how beautiful she is.

Perhaps my complex is a result of the trauma that follows homelessness. If I don’t own one I can’t lose it.

From this article in the Chicago Sun-Times:

Chicagoans taxes up 9 percent, Obama’s taxes up 1 percent

Obama’s bill barely edges up — but he still pays more than $22,000

October 30, 2009

BY Tim Novak

Many Chicago homeowners will see their property taxes rise sharply in the tax bills going out this week. But not President Obama. His taxes on his Kenwood mansion are up just 1 percent, records show.

Obama owes $22,456.43 in real estate taxes this year on his Kenwood mansion — $223.09 more than he paid last year, when he was running for president.

The median tax bill for city homeowners is up 9.6 percent.

That’s largely because the 7 percent exemption given to homeowners is being phased out.

But the president didn’t take that exemption during the last two years. So he’s not experiencing the pain of losing it, like most other Chicago homeowners.

Obama does pay more in property taxes than most politicians in Chicago and Cook County do, the Chicago Sun-Times found by examining online copies of the tax bills that Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas mailed out this week. But Obama’s seeing one of the smallest increases among Cook County politicians.

Sounds like the Obamas are on the treat side of the Chicago real estate tax trick.  I am posting a comments found at the article by a Chicagoans that obviously represents the “trick” side of things:

My property taxes went up 63%!!!! An extra $2600 a year!!!!”
Of course, you are not part of the elite……You are receiving…..”change.”

“Obama and all other politicians whose only answer is to raise fees and taxes should automatically pay the max. This is the same president who wants to fund health care off the backs of those who make the most money. They should follow their own logic and have to pay the most when they claim that they need more.”

“…maybe if Pres O had bought it for full market value instead of the Tony Rezko bargain basement price he would be paying his fair share,,,, And ya gotta wonder how many haven’t paid …”

“I am not a happy camper. My taxes went up a little over 30% – an additional $700 for the second installment. My house is upside-down and I can’t get refinancing, yet someone thinks it’s okay that I pay more tax for a house that’s gone down in value. People already in dire straits are only going to go deeper in the hole. I have to think hard about whether or not it’s worth it for me to keep this house.”

President Obama's Chicago Home. President Obama paid $1.65 million for the Kenwood mansion he and his family moved into in 2005. His real estate tax bill this year is $22,456.43 -- a 1 percent increase from last year. (Sun-Times file)

Maybe the treat part of “Change You Can Believe In” is coming a little later for those of you who were tricked into voting for the Great Pumpkinhead.

"Little Devils" cartoon by Stilton Jarlsberg at Hope N' Change Cartoons. http://hopenchangecartoons.blogspot.com/

Autographed Letter Signed,
AFROCITY

Obama’s Campaign Promises: The Comfort of Fools October 27, 2009

Promises make debt, and debt makes promises. ~Dutch Proverb

Had I known that Barack  Obama would have broken so many promises made to his voters, I would have tried much harder to convince them that there was no logical way that a man who did so little during his previous political career, could do so much as President of the United States of America.

There is not one day that goes by without my thinking of September 11th, 2001.  I lived in New York city at the time. I was directly effected by the tragedy.  I have the panic disorder to prove it.  I watched while my fellow New Yorkers shifted uncomfortably in their subway seats whenever the train would sit on the tracks a little too long. Signs of a collective trauma unknown to most Americans born after the 1960’s until that fateful day when we saw Icarus and his 3,000 brothers and sisters fall from the sky.

Winning in Afghanistan is important to me and Barack Obama said it was important to him.

On Monday, our country suffered the loss of 14 soldiers in Afghanistan during a helicopter crash.

Why is President Obama taking so long to make his decision concerning a troop surge in Afghanistan when he promised that he would be tough on the “real culprits” behind 9/11,  unlike his predecessor George W. Bush who focused his time and energy on the “wrong war”?

From this article in the Wall Street Journal

Obama Promises Troops ‘a Clear Mission’ in Afghanistan

October 26, 2009

By Jonathan Weisman

President Barack Obama placed the mission of preventing Afghanistan from becoming an al Qaeda haven into the center of his war policy, a rhetorical hint that he isn’t siding with those in his administration that see the battleground against terrorism shifting permanently to Pakistan.

In a speech at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville, billed as a thanks to U.S. men and women in uniform, the president inserted a salute to the 14 Americans who died today in helicopter crashes in Afghanistan.

“They were willing to risk their lives, in this case, to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven for al Qaeda and its extremist allies,” he said. “And today, they gave their lives to protect ours. Now it is our duty as a nation to keep their memory alive in our hearts and to carry on their work.”

Some in the White House have suggested that after fleeing to Pakistan, al Qaeda leaders are not likely to return to Afghanistan. Early this month, National Security Adviser James Jones said of al Qaeda in Afghanistan, “the maximum estimate is less than 100 operating in the country, no bases, no ability to launch attacks on either us or our allies.” With the Taliban divided over al Qaeda, some administration officials have argued the U.S. could co-opt Taliban leaders and create a political atmosphere that would keep terrorists out, even if the Taliban increased its role in the leadership of Afghanistan.

Obama also defended the length of time he is taking in deciding whether to increase troop levels in Afghanistan. His extended policy review has drawn criticism from Republicans, including former Vice President Richard Cheney, who last week accused him of “dithering.”

“This is very important as we consider our next steps in Afghanistan: I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm’s way,” Obama said to loud applause. “I won’t risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary. And if it is necessary, we will back you up. Because you deserve the strategy, the clear mission, and the defined goals as well as the equipment and support you need to get the job done.”

Cartoon by Walt Handelsman, copyright 2009 Tribune Media Services

We understand that strategy takes time President Obama…but time also takes lives.

Autographed Letter Signed,

AFROCITY

Moonbat Monday: The FOX Hunters October 26, 2009

For little more than a year I have been in a wonderful relationship…with FOX News.

Other’s seem to agree as FOX news makes a killing every night in the ratings.  Yes, I love Bill-O, Sean, Shep, Greta, Glenn, Megyn, Charles Krauthhammer, Tammy Bruce, and even Juan.  Am I fair and balanced in my choice of news sources?  Hell no! Frankly, I do not care.

During a frustrating August day in 2008, I became increasingly dissatisfied with the media coverage surrounding then presidential candidate Barack Obama, especially on cable networks CNN and MSNBC.

To be fair, my mind was already made up against Obama.   He could not have given me 1 million dollars for my vote.  All that I needed to see of him and his lack of presidential qualities I admired had been locked in since his bid for the Democratic nomination against Hillary Clinton.

However, it seemed clear to me that the good folks of CNN and MSNBC also were firm in their decision about the upcoming election. Campbell Brown -all bull…so biased. Keith Olberman (blech). It was all about Barry. Barry could do no wrong.  GOP VP-nominee Sarah Palin was an idiot. John McCain was a racist and so were his gun toting supporters.

Distanced logic and a commitment to telling the truth seemed to be the last thing on the minds of reporters getting tingles up their legs over THE CHOSEN ONE. That is when I chose FOX.

At first, I delighted in the absence of Obama worship. That is what brought me to FOX.   With time, it was the network’s no frills commentators, tenacity for getting at the heart of the matter and commitment  to balanced reporting that kept me with Fox.  I also appreciate the feminine aspect of the network. Beauty and brains rule, every woman with a law degree, sweet smile and the bite of a pit bull.

Remember this little tiff between Megyn Kelly and Obama Campaign guy Bill Burton?

Okay, so FOX News and Obama seem to have a bit of history. However, now that the 2008 presidential campaign is in the history books and Obama is our president, some feuds never die.

From this article in U.S. News and World Reports

White House: Fox Pushed Team Obama Over the Brink

A senior Obama adviser says White House staffers realized they’d never get a fair shake from Fox

By Kenneth T. Walsh

Posted October 23, 2009

The White House’s feud with Fox News has caused an irresistible buzz in Washington, but many are wondering precisely what prompted President Obama and his advisers to go ballistic against the network.

Here’s the answer: Team Obama was pushed over the brink by a growing list of what it considered outrageous anti-Obama conduct by Fox that showed no sign of stopping. Obama’s advisers say that they seethed while Fox commentators used their shows to encourage protests against Obama’s healthcare proposals last summer. Team Obama fumed as Fox personalities tried to pressure some controversial Obama advisers to resign. White House officials

say that Fox has continued to stir the pot against Obama in a regular pattern—raising a criticism, having Republican congressional leaders comment on it, and then using those comments to keep the criticism alive.

A break point came when Fox tried to create the impression that angry anti-Obama protesters at congressional town hall meetings last summer signaled that Obama’s healthcare proposals were dying, a story line that other news organization picked up. White House officials say this was untrue, that those proposals were not dying at all.

Another break point came when Fox commentator Chris Wallace called White House officials “crybabies.” A senior Obama adviser tells U.S. News that White House staffers developed “a growing realization” that the president would never get a fair shake from Fox.

White House insiders say that, at some point, White House officials will appear again on Fox, but they will do so expecting an antagonistic atmosphere, as if they were appearing on conservative talk radio. Asked what White House insiders hope to accomplish with the feud, the adviser says, “We are not spending much time here at the White House thinking about Fox” but are focusing instead on the president’s agenda, including health care legislation, the economy, regulatory reform, Afghanistan

, and Iran. “Fox is using this to promote themselves,” the adviser says. “Our hope is simply that responsible journalists will not go chasing after Fox stories” as if these stories were legitimate.

Image from Contra Obama.com

Hmmm, if the Obama administration is so “not worried about FOX news can someone explain why they are trying so hard to lock out the news station that they claim is “not a legitimate news source”?

Again the Obamabots seek to crush and destroy rather than lead by example thus giving the world precious pearls of beer sud wisdom and “teachable moments”

Desperate to stay in the game weasel Democrats who normally shy away from FOX have been cropping up on the network. This morning Florida congress woman Deb Wasserman Schultz popped up on the morning show –cheery and full of liberal bias as always.

Sunday Lanny Davis got his ass handed to him on a platter by Mike Huckabee.

I do not agree with everything Mike Huckabee stands for but I love the way he handles himself with liberals.

I love it. Mike was honest. Yes we are fair and balanced but that does not mean we drink the Kool Aid and it certainly does not mean we hide what we believe in.

Autographed Letter Signed,

AFROCITY

Sunday Soliloquy: Damn It Feels Good To Be A Victim October 25, 2009

From I Own The World. Com

Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you recognize a mistake when you make it again.

F.P. Jones

My affection for grocery shopping yesterday afternoon was again trumped by my past anxieties.

Does the memory of past trauma ever end? No matter how successful I become my world will never be devoid of what came before.  Despite a fistful of coupons and a debit card to burn, here I am at the grocery store still feeling like a victim.

Afrocity, you do not deserve those $3.49 Sea Salt & Vinegar Kettle Chips in the organic aisle.

Afrocity, do you really need that pre-packaged salad? Are you too lazy to cut up a head of lettuce?

How dare you buy that 1/2 pound of imported genoa salami just because it tastes better when the domestic is on sale?

I was guilt-ridden and self loathing at the deli-counter. I asked for co-jack cheese, salami, Vienna corned beef, and old fashioned loaf.

Why so greedy? Just how many sandwiches can you make Afrocity?

What was I thinking? I went to the grocer’s market on an empty stomach and a head filled with bad memories of standing in aisles of food which I often could not afford without the government’s help.

Rarely did mom ever stand at a deli counter except to buy corned beef which is my favorite cold cut.  $6.00 a pound it was during the 70’s, for food stamp heads like mom and I that was a luxury…but we bought it anyway.

“Just because we are on welfare does not mean we have to eat like it,”  mother would often say when she would get a cold stare from the supermarket cashier. She was paranoid that because they were white, they felt that blacks should not eat as well. Especially when those blacks happened to be on food stamps.

From "Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger"

“Because they are white and have to struggle to pay for groceries, they think we should too.”

“How can you tell they are struggling?” I asked.

“Look at them! Would you want to work all day bagging groceries?”

I shook my head. Bagging did look like a boring job.

“Well, neither do they… I would rather have NO JOB than to do that all day long.”

Mother’s wisdom was never plain. Tempered with bitterness and the frustration of underdog-dom, she cleverly turned our situation into something that was enviable and virtuous.

“We get corned beef and she gets bologna…and what did I tell you about bologna?” she asked, handing me the lightest bag of groceries.

Frowning at the mere mention of the word, I proved to mother that I knew my lessons well.  “Bologna is bad for black people and made by whites to slowly poison us with poor nutrition. Just like Oscar Meyer corn dogs and possessed meat.”

“Processed meats,” she corrected. ” P R O C E S S ED.”

I nodded. “No fat, only lean cuts. It is a sin to eat fat the USDA is a liar and so is Nestle.”

Mother nodded, we were ready to retrace our steps back home, hands full of groceries.

Now she left me in 2009, starring off into space as the deli-counter lady was slicing my corned beef.  I don’t need all of this meat but I was hungry and got greedy.  I can’t ask her to stop now.  There are moments when it seems to me that I will never deserve that pound of corned beef. It didn’t feel good then and it doesn’t feel much better now that I can afford it with my own money that I worked for.

As usual ZoNation sums up everything for me this week. My favorite African American conservative has created a hip hop music video which discusses Obama supporters and victimhood. They call them “victicrats”