Political Pistachio Radio This Week

Monday: Lt. Col. Allen West has lived his life in service to America. After serving in the U.S. Army, finishing his military career as an advisor in Afghanistan in an assignment that finished in November, 2007, LTC Allen West has decided to run for Congress in the 22nd District in Florida. A family man and true conservative, Allen West brings leadership and values to his candidacy. Allen West is the kind of conservative we need in Congress, and he is my guest Monday night on Political Pistachio Radio.

Tuesday: McCain and Obama were together at Saddleback questioned separately by Megachurch pastor, Rick Warren, last Saturday. Pastor Bill Devlin of Redeem The Vote will join us on Tuesday to discuss the event on Political Pistachio Radio.

Wednesday: Presidential Candidates Barack Obama and John McCain seem reluctant to take a stand with respect to their position on enforcing Federal Obscenity Laws. Morality in Media President Robert Peters is our guest on Wednesday to discuss a national survey that was conducted last spring - and the results may surprise you. Join us Wednesday on Political Pistachio Radio.

Thursday: A survey finds the majority of Americans believe parents have a constitutional right to homeschool their children. Homeschooling, however, has been under attack, and many states are trying to outlaw homeschooling right here in the United States. Mike Donnelly of the Home School Legal Defense Association will be joining us to discuss the advantages of Home Schooling, the survey conducted last spring by LifeWay Research, and the ongoing attacks against parents that have decided to homeschool their children. Mike is our guest on Thursday on Political Pistachio Radio.

A Message From Iraq

A Message From Iraq From A Good Friend

My friend for well over twenty years is currently in Iraq. I hear from him on occasion by e-mail, but those are rare and far between. He has decided to send his latest message in a manner he has not done since before he left for Iraq. He gives me a little hell, and a few other folks, in the post, but I think that many will enjoy reading what this warrior has to say.

Find the message in the form of a post on his blog: Sky Dive Rick. Be warned, Rick is not afraid to use a liberal amount, pardon the expression, of profanity.

Corsi Book Interview

After The Interview With Dr. Jerry Corsi

Friday night on Political Pistachio Radio Dr. Jerome Corsi, author of “The Obama Nation, Leftist Politics And The Cult of Personality,” was my guest. He was on for about a half an hour, after which time he lost his cell phone signal. He was giving me this interview while travelling on a train to Washington D.C.

At the beginning of the program I asked Dr. Corsi about the criticisms The Obama Nation has been receiving. I pointed out how liberals and conservatives alike have been hammering it, saying that the book has untruths in it that, in their opinion, make it nothing more than just another attempt to use smear tactics to discredit Barack Obama. I pointed out that Media Matters and Hugh Hewitt are for once in agreement on something. The Next Right wrote a blistering criticism of Corsi, calling him a “smear artist,” and “embarrassing for conservatives.”

I also brought up Debbie Schlussel’s past criticisms of him, to the point that she has accused him of plagiarism, and Corsi said simply, “Well, I don’t read Debbie anymore.”

Dr. Corsi was immediately on the defense when the interview delved deeper into the criticisms of The Obama Nation, proclaiming that he doesn’t know “why” the response is as it is, after all, “I am no psychiatrist.” Media Matters, as recently as face to face with Corsi on Larry King Live, has been one of the left leaning sites that have been most critical of the book, and in response, Corsi said, “I don’t read Media Matters. If asked would I rather read Media Matters, Debbie Schlussel, or jump off a tall building, I’m gonna ask you, ‘well, how tall’s the building?’ Because it is the best choice of the three.” He later said, “This group of radical leftists paid by [George] Soros with a mission to discredit conservatives, this isn’t the kind of group I think we should feel compelled to be answering all the time. Our side seems to think, ‘Well, I don’t want to be criticized, we don’t wanna look bad.’ The more Media Matters criticizes me, the better I like it, and the less I intend to read it. . . we can talk about Media Matters about as long as I can tolerate it, and I’m already close to my limit.”

When I mentioned that Media Matters has gone into questioning a lot of items in the book, meaning to state that they have detailed individual items as falsehoods, Corsi quickly responded, “Who cares. I don’t care. . . my comment on Media Matters is, Who Cares?” Later in the show he also added, “I think that Media Matters wouldn’t know a serious flaw if it bit ‘em in the behind. I can’t stand Media Matters. I don’t think Media Matters does anything of worth. . . If you think there’s a serious flaw, what is it? When you mention Media Matters, I am thinking that I am wasting my time listening for the next two minutes. . . if you want to talk to me about Media Matters, I’m out.”

When the Obama Campaign was mentioned, Dr. Corsi proclaimed, “Barack Obama’s people don’t want people reading what’s in this book,” because it’s “over the target.”

He was also careful to explain that he is not some cocktail drinking Washington Elitist, saying: “I’m not a part of the Washington Establishment…name dropping, Washington, cocktail party establishment, and I’m never gonna be a part of that, because that is not who I am.”

In defense of the accusation of Jerome Corsi appearing Sunday on the show, The Political Cesspool, which is being called by Media Matters an example of Jerome Corsi associating with White Supremacists since the show’s host is admittedly pro-White and has stated in the past that “Interracial sex is white genocide,” Jerome Corsi responded: “Appearing on a show is not an endorsement of the host. . . I do a 120 shows, and do most of the shows that come to me. If I had to agree with every talk show host. . . I’d never go on any shows. Being on a show does not mean I endorse a host’s views. . . I have even been on Liberal shows, and I sure don’t endorse them.”

When I stated in the interview that I agree with him for the most part regarding his theories regarding “The North American Union Conspiracy,” Jerry responded with a smile in his voice, “That’ll make you a nut to those guys, you better be careful about agreeing with me about anything.”

Tony Rezko was brought up near the latter part of the interview, and when asked about Rezko, Dr. Corsi became more comfortable in the interview, and began to show me his skills as the investigative reporter he has become so known for. The connections between Obama, Iraq, and Rezko is staggering, according to Dr. Corsi. The timing of the deal regarding Obama’s property is more than coincidental. He said in the interview, “It certainly looks more than suspicious. And now Obama is trying to explain how all of this relates. And what is the relationship? I don’t know if I was working with anybody, first of all, I can’t imagine that I would ever want to be associated with someone like Rezko, let alone taking campaign contributions from him, or, um, letting him be involved in buying a property with me. I’m asking — what I am saying is, I am not definitively concluding anything, I’m just saying that these questions aren’t being sufficiently asked in the Chicago newspaper’s research, they are reporting them. I’m asking the same questions the Chicago papers are asking, which Obama has not truly answered. To answer them fully, you might need the authority of a prosecutor. You might need the authority of a criminal investigator. You might even need the authority of a Grand Jury.”

What has risen is questions that are not being answered, and that is what Jerry Corsi is trying to do with this book. The anger about his book, Corsi claimed on Political Pistachio Radio, is because he’s asking questions that the left may not want to answer. He is raising questions, and in response his attackers are claiming he is saying that each of those questions are his definitive argument. Specifically, Corsi said, “I’m an investigative reporter saying, ‘Okay, here’s the issue,’ and I’m raising a question about [these issues]. Now, I’m not a prosecutor, I don’t have subpoena power. I don’t have grand jury power. I can’t tell testimony. But, you know, if I were in those positions, I might well consider doing so. [But,] I’m not. I’m an investigative reporter. I just raise questions. And I don’t say anywhere in the book, I don’t say anything definitive about it more than ‘this looks suspicious.’ There are some things that are pretty definitive. You know, I’m positive that the Frank in Dreams of my Father is Frank Marshall Davis, but even in his rebuttal it confirms that. I don’t think there is any question that Frank is Frank Marshall Davis, we’ve established that. Now, whether the loan was involved in the purchase of the Obama dream property, I can’t say for sure one way or the other. I just ask questions.”

Dr. Corsi also told me on the show that it is hard to understand this man, meaning Obama. He has enough intelligence to get a Harvard Law Degree, but he can’t figure out in twenty minutes that something was not right with Rezko.

In short, this book raises questions on particular issues, suggests evidence to what the answer to the questions may be, to the extent that there are some serious problems with Obama’s character and history, but Barack Obama won’t answer the questions. Usually, when he does respond to these questions, the response is either a lie, or a different tale from the last time he answered the question. Obama doesn’t like the fact that he is being associated with people like Rezko or Ayers. It’s not that he regrets the connections, he simply regrets they have been found out, and is now trying to talk his way out of these alleged connections with criminals, communists and terrorists.

Corsi believes he has provided more than enough evidence in this book to substantiate many of the questions raised in The Obama Nation. Corsi asks, “Why did it take Obama so long to conclude that Rezko was a shady character?” As I brought up later in the interview, it goes along with allowing twenty years before he decided his pastor was a racist, anti-American blow-hard. And Obama only made the decision to separate himself from Wright when the pressure to do so became too great.

Did you miss the show? Check out the archive of the program HERE.

Jerome Corsi book Obama Nation on BTR Radio Tonight!

Obama Nation Book by Jerome Corsi Draws Criticism - Corsi is my guest tonight on BTR

Tonight on Political Pistachio Radio Dr. Jerome Corsi must meet controversy head on!

Dr. Jerome Corsi, staff writer for World Net Daily, has suddenly found himself in the midst of a violent storm of controversy. The WND writer, this week alone, has been the object of numerous television and radio shows as the media tries to wade through the information contained in the book, and determine if the book is truly filled with falsehoods, or is a well researched piece of literature that takes a close and hard look at the Democratic Presidential front-runner, Barack Obama.

The book at the center of the controversy is, The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality. The Huffington Post calls the book, “…one of the worst political books ever written. Corsi piles distortion upon innuendo to create a gigantic heap of right-wing garbage, with a seemingly endless parade of basic factual errors running through the text like rats. Corsi’s book is an embarrassment to the craft of journalism, and any of the conservatives who have praised and promoted it should feel humiliated at how bad it truly is.” Media Matters writes that The Obama Nation “contains numerous falsehoods about Sen. Barack Obama.” Even Conservative talk show host and Townhall writer Hugh Hewitt exclaims about the book, “Corsi’s from the fringe. . . the book contains errors.”

Hugh Hewitt, however, also points out that the Obama Campaign has given us an “absurd set of non-responsive responses,” and that, “Now they botch a gimmie — defining Corsi as a nut while not putting attention on the charges he leveled.”

Sean Hannity has stated that The Obama Nation “may have made his [Obama's] campaign a bit nervous.”

Joseph Farah, founder of World Net Daily, says about the controversy surrounding the book, and Jerome Corsi, “Unlike most of the critics of The Obama Nation, I have actually read the book from cover to cover. It is a thoroughly well-documented piece of first-rate journalism. Are there mistakes in it? Show me a first edition that doesn’t have some – other than the Bible. But is it truthful? Does it add considerably to the public’s knowledge of the front-running candidate for the presidency? Do we know much more about Obama than we would had we relied exclusively for our information from the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post and the Associated Press? I offer a resounding ‘yes’ to all three of those questions. I am privileged to call him my friend, colleague and co-worker. I stand with Jerry Corsi today as he is viciously maligned by an attack media that would prefer to aim its potent artillery at a man who dared to do their job when they refused, when they laid down, when they sucked up, when they failed to ask the tough questions, when they took sides.”

In response, Barack Obama’s advisers have been tracking Corsi’s media appearances, quickly telephoning producers to react to the book’s charges, and last night, the Democratic presidential candidate’s campaign issued a 40-page response to the book.

The Democratic National Committee has its own rapid response team to take aim at Corsi’s book, saying, “One of the most vile smear peddlers of the 2004 election has found a new target. We cannot afford to let Corsi get away with the same dirty tricks that fooled so many people in 2004. We can’t rely on the media to hold him accountable – in fact, the sheer brazenness of the lies is attracting even more coverage. The media have shown that they aren’t going to stop him. It’s up to you to spread the truth.”

So, what is the truth? Is this book a classic smear job? Or is Corsi’s book simply caught up in the crosshairs of the leftists because it hits a chord? Is Dr. Jerome Corsi a discredited liar peddling garbage in order to help continue Bush-Cheney politics? Or is he a simply being lynched by the mainstream media and Democratic Party for daring to write the truth? Be the judge yourself. Read the book, and listen to what Dr. Jerome Corsi has to say tonight on Political Pistachio Radio.
The show airs live at 10:00 pm Eastern Time, but will be archived for later listening for those unable to listen live. Access the program HERE.

www.blogtalkradio.com/politicalpistachio

Communists Love Obama

Russia Makes U.S. the Villian In Georgia, Communists Love Obama

Here in the United States the Communist Party USA has written a glowing editorial about Barack Obama.

Apparently, the Communists see a large number of similarities between their platform, and Obama’s positions on the issues. As expected, the farther to the left the groups, the more they like Obama.

The Kremlin likes Obama too, apparently. In a recent radio newscast in Russia, a state-run broadcast I might add, the Russian populace was told the conflict in South Ossetia was part of a plot by Dick Cheney, the Vice-President, to stop Barack Obama from being elected president of the United States.

You see, the Russians and Obama have something in common. They both see America as a sinister force in the world. Forget the fact that it is the United States that is first to respond with aid whenever a disaster happens anywhere in the world. Forget the fact that it has been the United States Military that has preserved and protected liberty in the free nations around the world, and have been a large factor in keeping the peace overall. And when Russia says the war in Georgia is purely about the break-away provinces, never mind the fact that Russian forces currently control a third of Georgian territory (much more than the land occupied by the pro-Russian provinces).

Russia has a history of being an expansionist country, and despite all of their claims of democracy and a new system, Russia has reverted to the old habits of the Soviet years. Despite the new age of information transfer available to the citizens should they plug into the internet, the Kremlin is replaying the same old song and dance on government controlled media outlets in Russia.

And, of course, the Obama angle is getting plenty of positive play.

Barry Soetoro (Obama) and the growing mound of lies

Barry Soetoro, oops, I mean “Obama”, and the Muslim Religion

The battle against “smear” tactics is present in any political campaign. More often than not for a candidate a smear is easily defended against because the tactic is so off-key and ridiculous that even a third grader can determine the illegitimacy of it. Usually, the strategy for handling smears is simply to produce evidence that states otherwise, or to make a statement that exposes the smear for what it really is.

Barack Obama, like any other candidate, has been the victim of a number supposed smear tactics, some of which may very well be nothing more than smears, while others may have some credibility. The problem for Barack is, however, often the supposed smear turns out to be closer to the truth than expected by the accusers. And, more often than not, Obama’s campaign does not provide proof to the contrary. Or, Mr. Obama himself utters statements that are shaky at best, and sometimes even confirms the alleged smear without him even realizing it.

The so-called smear-tacticians proclaimed that Obama’s church of twenty years was one of hate and anti-Americanism. Obama proclaimed that to be false. Then Reverend Wright and Father Pfleger said their peace, and suddenly Barack Obama was back-pedeling, and saying he was never at church when such anti-establishment things were said. When he realized nobody was buying it, Barry proclaimed in an interview that yes, Wright sometimes said things that were controversial, and things he did not agree with. He added, for confirmation he’s like everyone else, I suppose, that “I don’t think my church is actually particularly controversial,” and that folks don’t always agree with everything their pastor says.

Part of what began the concept of religion, a man-made concept I have a serious problem with (religion is man-made, Faith in Christ is God-made), is because like-minded people tend to congregate together. If you don’t agree with your pastor on something, you go out and find a church, or pastor, where you do fully agree, or you just stop attending religious services altogether. However, one basic universal principle of Christianity is that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. Christ says exactly this in the New Testament Book of John, Chapter 14, Verse 6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

This brings up the next alleged smear. Barack Obama’s Christianity has become a topic of consideration. Barack, after slamming Mike Huckabee for wearing his faith on his sleeve in a political campaign, is now doing everything he can to convince the public that he is a devout practicing Christian. However, in line with his good friend Oprah Winfrey, Obama has continually stated that he believes there are “many paths to Heaven.” Though there are many who “claim” to be Christian that claim the same, the above verse in the Book of John is quite clear in declaring that Jesus Christ is the Only Way. Call me what you may, I didn’t decide personally “that’s the way it is.” I am simply pointing out the scripture that confirms it. If you have a problem with it, take up your beef with God.

Amidst the questions about Obama’s claim to Christianity is another bone of contention. Obama’s possible ties to Islam have been the concern of many. Obama has said repeatedly that he is not a Muslim, nor has he ever been a Muslim.

I honestly believe that Obama thinks he is a Christian, firmly believing that all it takes to be a Christian is to attend a church that says it is Christian (regardless of whether or not the doctrine is truly Biblical), read the Bible before you go to bed (even if you think some verses are obscure), be baptized, say a prayer every now and then, and maybe even have an on-going conversation with God that may or may not be performed while on his knees. I don’t think he has a personal relationship with Christ, based on things that he has said, but in the end, that is between him and God, so we shall leave it at that.

However, I do not like the fact that he lies and covers up bits and pieces of the “Are you Muslim” question. If he was Muslim at any point in his life, even when he was a young man and didn’t have much control of how people listed him, why can’t he just fess-up and admit it? I am sure the mainstream media won’t give him too much grief, and I am sure folks will understand if he was a Muslim at one point, but decided not to be later. But he lies continuously, calls any accusation of anything regarding him in a manner other than magically messiah-like a smear tactic, and then later the evidence arises that he was full of crap all along. This makes him look worse than if he’d just been willing to say from the start something like, “Yeah, I was listed as a Muslim at a school in Indonesia when I was a kid, and my dad was a Muslim. But as I grew up I realized that’s not what I wanted to be, so I decided to try to be a Christian,” or perhaps anything along those lines.

Instead, we get from Obama, “I am not, and never have been, a Muslim.”

Once again, let me indicate that his statement is a complete lie.

Evidence? The evidence is in black and white, and shown below.

What does that document say?

1. Nama murid (The name of the pupil): Barry Soetoro
2. Tempat dan tanggal lahir (The place and date of birth): Honolulu, 4-8-1961 (August 4, 1961)
3. Bangai: a. Warga negara (Citizenship): Indonesia
b. Ketarunan asing (Foriegn?): (blank)
c. Saku bangra (The pocket?): (blank)
4. Agama (The religion): Islam
5. Alamat murid (Address of the pupil): M*** Dalson? R001/R003
6. Dari sekolah mana (dipiadahkan) dan kelas becapa (From what school (dipiadahkan?) and the class becapa): ?
7. a. Diterima disekedah inl tgl. (Date Accepted): 1-1-1968 (January 1, 196
b. Ditermpatkan dikelas (Grade): I (First grade)
8. a. Nama grang tua Alah/Ibu (The name of the parents Mr/Ms): L. Soetoro M A (Lolo Soetoro) b. Pekerdjam (?)
(name ibu dsi, haaja djika ajah sudah meninggal) (Name of the mother ? if died)
c. Alamat (The address): M*** Dalson? R001/R003
9. a. Nama wali (The name of the guardian): (blank)
(hanja diisi, djika orang tua murid tak ada, sudah man’nggal alah karena hal lain)
(? was filled up, ? parents of the pupil were not available, already ? because another thing )
b. Pekerdjaan (???): (blank)
c. Alamat (The address): (blank)
10. Meninggalkan sekolah ini. (Left this school) : (blank)
a. Belam tamat. Keluar dari kelas (? was finished. Outside from the class): (blank) tanggal (The date)
b. Temat, menerima idjarah tanggal (?, recieved ? the date): (blank) No. (blank)
c. Melandjutkan sekolah ke (?? the school to): (blank)
11. Keterangan lsim (Information ???): (blank)

Okay, it says he was born in Honolulu, so that may be some additional evidence to clear up the Birth Certificate fiasco. . . but it lists him as being an Indonesian citizen? I wonder what the current status of that citizenship is.

His name is listed as Barry Soetoro. Does his birth certificate say Barry Soetoro? Did he ever legally change his name from Soetoro to Obama? And why did he later state in writing that his name was never any different than it is now?

So apparently Barack Obama lied to the Illinois Supreme Court when asked to provide former names on the above document. Hmmmm, seems like “lying” is nothing new for Barack Obama.

And notice on line four of the first document above his religion is listed as Islam.

Wait, Barry, I thought you have “never been” a Muslim.

I guess his Muslim step-father (oops, that makes two Muslim dads) considered the boy’s religion to be Islam.

Hey, Barry, that’s fine. If you aren’t Muslim, we’ll believe you, but don’t lie to us and say you “never have been” Muslim. You see, Barack, in presidential candidates character is an important thing to voters, and your inability to tell the truth repeatedly (not to mention your uncanny ability to hold opposing positions on issues simultaineously) is hardly evidence of moral standards, common decency, or any semblance of strong character.

Obama Naive

War in Georgia, Candidate’s Responses Show Who’s The Best Man For The Job Of President of the United States

War has broke out between Russia and Georgia. On the surface Russia is making it out to be all about the break-away provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In truth, these provinces are pro-Russian, and desire a return to being under the socialist control of Moscow. Russia has promised to spend at least $400 million in 2008 on restoring South Ossetia’s battered capital Tskhinvali, and is doing all she can to convince the world that the Russian invasion is all about those provinces.

Little is being said about the “ethnic cleansing,” or about how Georgians in the provinces are being pressured to abandon their homes and businesses and leave the provinces.

The war has little to do with these provinces, in the end, however. The provinces are the excuse for the Russian military move into the region. The invasion of Georgia is really about bringing down pro-western Georgia. The attack is about Russia flexing its muscles and showing that it “can” do what it is doing, without international consequences. Believe me when I say that it won’t be long before you see a puppet government, pro-Russian (of course), established in Georgia.

American support for Georgia’s democratic government includes a humanitarian airlift to Georgia, and the threat that this military invasion by Russia may place at risk Russia’s membership in world organizations.

For those liberal people out there (like Lance, Ken, Ballbuster, Tina, and Tom to name a few) trying to compare the U.S. invasion of Iraq to this military operation by Russia against Georgia, remember this: Saddam Hussein was a genocidal madman that killed for pleasure. Granted, he should have been removed much earlier, but was not because of his opposition to previously Soviet-backed Iran (enemy of your enemy is your temporary friend?). Mikail Saakashvili is a freedom loving leader who has the country of Georgia on the fast-track to economic stability, and NATA membership. Iraq housed a large number of Weapons of Mass Destruction that both Democrats and Republicans believed were there based on intelligence reports, some of which were shipped to Syria, some of which remained in Iraq. Of the WMDs remaining in Iraq, hundreds have been found. Georgia has shown the willingness to be a pro-western ally, and was even the third largest contributor to the coalition of forces in Iraq. Russia, the invader of Georgia, has a history of totalitarian aggression, and the leader, Vladimir Putin, is KGB and an old system hardliner. The U.S. invaded Iraq to remove Hussein, free the people from an oppressive leader, and then allow the people to vote in the leadership they desired. The U.S. goal is to eventually stabilize Iraq, and leave the country under the complete control of Iraqi leadership. Russia has moved in beyond the provinces they claim to be protecting, and will undoubtedly set up a puppet-government in Georgia in order to expand their influence in the region. History is the indicator of this tendency.

John McCain understands the complexity of this situation. Barack Obama pretends to. The evidence of each of their level of understanding of the complexity of this war is perfectly characterized in their responses regarding the appropriate American action that needs to be taken.

McCain stated that he believes NATO’s North Atlantic Council should convene an emergency session to demand a cease-fire, and begin talking about a peacekeeping force for South Ossetia.

Obama said he thinks the U.N. Security Council should pass a resolution calling for an immediate end to the violence. He also thinks a U.N. mediator should join efforts to try to end the fighting.

Barack Obama, in that statement, showed his obvious ineptness regarding matters of this nature, which in turn proves he is not capable of holding the office of the presidency of the United States.

“How did I come to that conclusion?” you may ask.

Russia has veto power in the U.N Security Council. Calling for the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution is an obviously failed idea in that respect.

Point for McCain.

Obama, go back to planting daisies, painting peace symbols of VW vans, or whatever it is that your inexperienced, unworthy, far-left self does when you’re not making an obvious dope of yourself.

The Real Story Behind the Russian Invasion of Georgia

Russia Deploys Ships as Georgian Troops are flown home from Iraq

Russia, despite a Georgian cease-fire offer and its claim to be withdrawing from South Ossetia, has expanded their attack, and has begun to deploy ships.

Russia has claimed to have sunk a Georgian boat that was trying to attack Russian vessels in the Black Sea, and Georgian officials said Russia sent tanks from South Ossetia into Georgia, heading toward a strategic city before being turned back.

Russian planes twice bombed an area near the Georgian capital’s airport.

The Russian determination to subdue Georgia, even at the risk of international criticism, has grown into an expanded campaign and a refusal to observe Georgia’s cease-fire.

Meanwhile, The U.S. military began flying 2,000 Georgian troops home from Iraq after the Georgians recalled the soldiers following the outbreak of fighting with Russia in the breakaway province of South Ossetia.

An added note, Georgia was the third-largest contributor of coalition forces after the U.S. and Britain, and most of its troops were stationed near the Iranian border in southeastern Iraq.

And where is Congress as this, and many other emergencies, is happening? As THIRDWAVEDAVE put it, “The whole world is on fire. And where exactly is our Congressional leadership? Eating ribs at an election BBQ fundraiser or partying in Beijing?”

Also, there are reports there is more to this story than meets the eye. Is Russia after a regime change in Georgia? Are they attempting to pull Ossetia, and possibly even Georgia, into a new U.S.S.R.? Is the Russian government using this war as an excuse to move closer to Middle Eastern Oil?

Or is there something even deeper?

Death of the Newspaper

Why Newspapers Are Becoming Obsolete

With the advent of the Internet, many have been predicting the demise of the newspaper for a while. All of the major newspapers have web equivalents, and there are many news sources people have come to depend upon that are “Internet only.”

In the U.S., shares of major newspaper groups are plummeting. The Washington Post is down 24 percent, and the New York Times is down 26 percent, according to a recent “print” article I read. Both companies, by the way, are investing heavily in the online newspaper business.

There are other economic factors as well that are assaulting the “print” newspaper. They have lost a large portion of their classifieds and advertising to the Internet as well.

But I would like to add another possible factor to the mix, another feasible variable for the public’s growing disinterest in the traditional newspaper. Could the newspaper industry be losing readers also because of its relentless push for an agenda not shared by a large segment of its community. For example, when referring to the Los Angeles Times, some surveys have the numbers of readers listed as 40% of L.A. readers are conservative and 20% don’t care. Of the remaining 40%, a large portion of those are independent, or moderates. So the question then arises, how can a newspaper survive trying to reach less than 40% of the people?

I, myself, only purchase the Sunday paper, and that is primarily for the “inserts.” I receive most of my news from personal sources, and the Internet - Oh, and a portion from television news channels, but they are, for the most part, about as honest in their reporting as the newspapers.

And more astonishing is that a friend of mine that writes for the local Press Enterprise newspaper in Riverside, California, agrees with me. “Liberal content is definitely a factor in the coming demise of the printed media, or at least in the newspaper end of it,” she told me.

And since only a portion of the population is Liberal, and the rest of the potential customers are seeing most reporters, editors, and columnists as being “too liberal,” I believe it may not be too far of a stretch to say that the liberalization of the newspaper industry may be one of the major factors, if not the largest factor, for the slow fall of the the industry.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few websites to visit for today’s latest news.

Russia Invades Georgia (Ossetia Province) / American Tourist Stabbed To Death in China - Beijing

Russia Wages War Against Georgia, Ossetia Province

Yesterday the world received news that Russian tanks and troops had surged into Georgia’s breakaway province, South Ossetia, in order to repel a Georgian offensive to reclaim the region. At that point, fighting was said to have left hundreds dead.

Fierce clashes between Russian and Georgian troops erupted in the southern suburbs of South Ossetia’s capital Tskhinvali. Georgia was under heavy bombardment from Russian planes.

In short, Russia has started a full-scale military invasion of Georgia.

This invasion is Russia’s decision to defend Russians in Tskhinvali, who had come under fire by the Georgian artillery and air assault. This is the worst fighting since the 1992-94 separatist war in the region.

The United States has been in support of Georgia’s bid to join NATO, and in this conflict has called for an immediate ceasefire and Russian withdrawal.

In response to many European calls for the “crisis” to be resolved, Georgia’s ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Victor Dolidze, told a crisis meeting of the OSCE’s permanent council in Vienna, “If this is not war, then I wonder what is.”

The UN Security Council has failed to agree to call for an immediate ceasefire.

South Ossetia broke from Georgia in the early 1990s. It has since been a constant source of contention between Georgia and Russia. South Ossetia has long sought unification with North Ossetia, which is inhabited by the same Ossetian ethnic group, but ended up across the border in Russia after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Today, news agencies are stating that Russia and Georgia may be headed toward a wider war as Russian tanks rumbled farther into the contested province of South Ossetia, and Russian aircraft continued bombing Georgian towns, escalating a conflict that already has left hundreds dead.

Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said the country was “in a state of war” and accused Russia of beginning a “massive military aggression.” The Georgian parliament approved a state of martial law, mobilizing reservists and ordering government authorities to work round-the-clock.

The risk of the conflict setting off a wider war also increased because Russian-supported separatists in another breakaway region, Abkhazia, have also targeted Georgian troops by launching air and artillery strikes to drive them out.

A Georgian spokesman has stated that, “This is about annihilation of a democracy on their borders. We on our own cannot fight with Russia.”

Medvedev’s office said that Russia had not received the Georgian cease-fire proposal.

In response to the invasion, Georgia (who is a U.S. ally whose troops have been trained by American soldiers) launched a major offensive overnight.

Russia has laid much of the responsibility for ending the fighting on Washington, which has trained Georgian troops. Washington, in turned, blamed Russia.

Georgia claims it has shot down 10 Russian planes, and they have claimed to have captured two Russian pilots.

 

 

American Tourist, Father-in-Law of U.S. Coach, Killed in Beijing

A 47-year-old Chinese man stabbed an American tourist to death, wounded his wife, then jumped to his death from an ancient downtown landmark, marring the first full day of competition at the Summer Olympic Games, U.S. sports and government officials confirmed Saturday.

The American couple are relatives of a U.S. men’s indoor volleyball coach.