FOX, Lies and Videotape...Let Us Pray

 

Just imagine for a moment, if when the President came into office there was a budget surplus of $128 Billion!  Wouldn’t that be great, an actual surplus.  Now imagine that after his first year in office the President turned that $128 billion surplus into a deficit of $158 billion.  Let’s say that in his second year the deficit increased to $378 billion, then in his forth year $413 billion, and by the time the President left office he turned that $128 billion surplus into a deficit of $482 billion!  Imagine that the President attributed a portion of this all time record setting deficit to a $170 billion stimulus package that was put through, the largest stimulus package in history, a $400 billion bailout of FannieMae and FreddieMac, a $182 billion bailout of AIG, and a $17.4 billion bailout of the auto industry.  Now imagine that an additional $819.6 billion was spent during this time on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and it was not included in the deficit numbers previously mentioned, because funding for these wars was requested each year to congress as “emergency spending measures” beyond the budget that was already approved by congress.  And finally, let’s imagine that members of congress blasted this president stating that because of his “reckless fiscal policies (he) will be remembered as the most fiscally irresponsible president in our nation's history.”   You would be certain that the opposition in congress would be fighting this president tooth and nail, voting nay on every proposal offered!  You would be certain that FOX News would be all over this, blasting this President for his irresponsibility and for running this country in to the ground.  You would bet that there would be Tea Party Protests breaking out all over the country with venomous anger about record setting deficits and gross over spending that certainly would lead our country to certain financial collapse!   But for some strange reason, this never happened, no protests, not a word.  That is not until Barack Obama became president.  Everything I just described happened under George W. Bush, and no one said anything, nothing, not a single word.
 
Not a word was said when Bush’s tax cuts went to the wealthiest two percent of Americans in this country rather then the other 98% of Americans who truly needed those tax cuts.   Not a word was said when under Bush, the largest corporations in this country were given tax breaks that allowed them to pay less in taxes then the average blue collar factory worker.  The facts are that under the economic policies of George W. Bush the average median income of Americans in this country decreased 4.2 percent, while under Clinton the average median income increased 14 percent.  Under Bush the total number of Americans in poverty increased 26.1 percent, while under Clinton poverty decreased 16.9 percent. Under Bush the number of children in poverty increased 21.4 percent, while under Clinton poverty decreased by 24.2 percent.  Under Bush the number of Americans with out health insurance increased by 20.6 percent, while under Clinton it stayed even, and nothing was said, not by the republicans, not by FOX “News”, no protests, not a word.  But President Obama, on the other hand, since taking office has faced nothing but criticism from those same parties that said nothing to George W. Bush.  He faced criticism when he gave tax cuts to 98% of all Americans, criticism when he signed the Lilly-Ledbetter Act that guaranteed fair pay for women, criticism when he pushed through the health insurance reform, giving health insurance to 34 million Americans who currently do not have health insurance and can not get it, And now criticism as he fights for economic reforms that will eliminate the tax loop holes for the richest corporations and banks in this country and provide consumers with protections that they so desperately need.  This President faces Tea Party protests that are fueled by lies, criticism, and propaganda from FOX “News”, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reily.  This President faces a GOP that has pledged to fight this administration on every measure it tries to put through congress.  What the right fails to see is that the economic policies of George W. Bush simply did not work and the reason that we are in the place that we are today is because of those policies.  Less regulation did not work.  Large tax breaks to corporation and the wealthiest two percent did not work.  And the fact is that Bush is the only President in recent history to preside over an economic downturn in both terms in office.  They fight against change even though their ways did not work.
 
So my question is where were these Tea Party protesters when our economy was taking a nose dive under eight years of George W. Bush?  Where were they when jobs were going over seas, when average Americans were loosing there homes because they could not pay there mortgage due to high medical bills while the insurance companies were making record profits and there executives were making multi-million dollar salaries.  Where were they when spending on two wars was going out of control, when pensions and 401k were being wiped out because of an unstable market, when thousands of young soldiers were still dying even though it was announced “Mission Complete”?  Where were they? I will tell you where they were.  At home doing nothing, that is where.  And why were they at home and not out in the streets holding up misspelled signs?  Because the spokes people for their religion, the high priests and priestesses, did not tell them to.  And I am not talking about their Judeo-Christian priests and priestesses.  The church I am talking about is not the church of God, but the church of FOX.
 
Among conservative Republicans and Tea Party members FOX is their church, Fox is their religion, and there is a fanatical dedication to FOX “News” and the misinformation that is conveyed. For those who take the word of FOX as their primary source of information, the facts don’t seem to matter. No matter how false and slanted to the right the information may be these followers of FOX take it as gospel.  Nor does there seem to be an interest in obtaining different points of view from other news organizations on the days events or checking to see if the rhetoric from FOX is in fact accurate.  FOX Faithfuls want to believe what FOX tells them and they do not want to hear any different because if they did, then FOX forbid, they may actually find out that the propaganda that FOX spews out to them on a daily basis is in fact anything but “fair and balanced” as FOX claims their “News” to be.  FOX “News” is simply nothing but a Right Wing propaganda machine for the Republican Party disguised as a news organization.  If FOX forbid, one should talk badly about Fox “News”, FOX Faithfuls will defend their beloved “News” station with a passion usually only reserved for religion or political convictions.  This cult like passion towards FOX by its viewers is in itself proof that FOX is committed towards reporting the news in a way that is anything but “fair and balanced”.  I have never seen a viewer of MSNBC, CNN, ABC, or CBS passionately defend any of these stations, and that is because when a station is truly being “fair and balanced”, when news is presented as news with out bias and personal commentary, and opinion is kept separate from the actual news, that station does not need to be defended.  It’s integrity speaks for itself.  The misinformation about President Obama that started during the presidential campaign and continues until today is the result of FOX “News” and their endless campaign to derail any initiative that President Obama and the Democratic Party believe in.  The lies about President Obama’s religion, patriotism, political agenda, ties to terrorism, and citizenship, as well as the lies promoted about health insurance reform are a direct result of the actions of FOX “News”.  With out FOX “News” and their commitment towards promoting the Tea Party, there would be no Tea Party.  With out FOX “News” their viewers would actually get fair and balanced news and their decision to support or not support this President would be based more on truth and factual information, then lies and misinformation. 
 
Not everyone may agree with this administrations policies nor should they but all Americans including the FOX Faithfuls deserve to have the truth told to them.  They deserve to have news that is mostly free from personal opinion and entirely filled with facts.  They deserve, if they so choose, to fanatically disagree with the Presidents agenda based on real information, not on lies and misinformation.  And until this happens FOX “News” will be doing their Faithfuls a disservice.  We deserve better.  Their Faithfuls deserve better.  And FOX willing, America deserves better.  Let me hear an AMEN!

 

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Dear Dad, Some Hopey Changey Advice Ya BetchYa!

 

Because of the hundreds of e-mails that NorthShoreDad receives every day asking for advice or my opinion on various subjects, I’ve decided to start an advice column called “Dear Dad”.  Our first letter comes from a reader in Washington D.C. that calls himself Potus. 
 
Potus writes…
 
Dear Dad,
I have a very important job.  Millions of people look to me for leadership every day.  Frankly, at the risk of sounding arrogant, I am probably the most powerful man in the entire world, that is unless you ask my wife (LOL), if you know what I mean?  But quite seriously, after I got permission from my wife to run for this position, I worked my behind off to get where I am today.  Believe me, there were many people who never thought I would make it this far and many people who still wish I hadn’t, but in the end there really was not much of a contest.  I mean the old guy I was up against picked an unknown Alaskan chick to run with him who couldn’t tell the difference between the White House and an outhouse!  I kept waiting for Ashton Kutcher to walk out to tell me I’d been Punked but then I realized the old man was being serious.  Now she’s going around the country, speaking at these Tea Party events which are one sheet away from a KKK rally.  It's times like these that I wish I was a communist ‘cause I’d sick the CIA on her perky ass, ya betch’ya! So here I am now, leader of the free world and in all honesty, this is a lot more stressful then I expected it to be!    For some reason I thought this was going to be like past leaders who came into this job, where everyone rallied around him, accepted him as their chief of staff, and got down to business.  But it seems instead half the country hates me, and half of the government won’t work with me on anything.  It is really starting to depress me!  Thank god we’ve got the majority in congress, for now at least.  But regardless I’ve tried to be fair and include the other side in everything but nothing seems to work.  It seems like the only people who like me unanimously are the Europeans.  This would be great if I was the ruler of Europe but I’m not.   But my biggest problem is that there is this group of bullies who just won’t leave me alone.  Every day they go on their stupid television network and spread constant, unbelievable lies about me.  And the worst of it is that the people who watch them believe every word they say like it’s coming from the mouth of god.   I mean how stupid are these people?  Are they too damn ignorant to operate a computer?  It’s called the internet people, do a little research!   Check the facts for gods sake!  For once and for all, I was born in Hawaii, I am a Christian, not a Muslim.   I am a Democrat, not a Socialist, or a Fascist, or a Communist, or a Marxist and I am most absolutely not the Anti-Christ!  I do love this country, and yes, I also think it was crazy that I got a Nobel Peace Prize.   Let’s be real, I hadn’t even done anything yet!   I just don’t get it, I‘m a nice person.  I’m tall, decent looking and have a great smile and I am always trying to get everyone involved.  For example I just did this really nice thing.  I gave health care insurance to 34 million more Americans who could never get it before.  Did I get even an ounce of help from the opposition or at least a thank you?  Hell NO!  They did everything they could to stop me no matter how much I tried to get them involved.  I eliminated pre-existing conditions, no more caps on coverage, and you can go to any doctor you want.  You would think that everyone would love me.  But according to them, not only am I going to kill grandma but I’m also gonna bring about Armageddon!  I mean really, Armageddon?  Now I have to choose a new Supreme Court Justice and I just know this is going to another partisan pain in my half black ass!  Dear Dad, what can I do to finally bring everyone together so that this nomination goes smoothly and we can work together from now on in political peace and harmony?  Oh one more thing I forgot to mention, now the Jews are pissed at me as well because I kind of snubbed Netanyahu on his last visit here, Oy Vey!
   
Signed, Potus
    
  
Answer:
  
Dear Potus,
Were you not hugged enough as a child?  Where does this insatiable need for everyone to come together and get along come from?  Sure in a perfect world this would great.  We would all think alike, we would all agree, but guess what, that would be frigin boring!  Variety is the spice of life.  That is what makes America great, that we can all think and say what ever we want no matter how wrong, misleading, and completely untrue it might be.  To be frank with you Potus, wake up!  You got the power and up until now, you have yet to use it.  Stop trying to make friends with the other side and get the job done.  You and your friends can pretty much do any thing you want and you are spending way to much time trying to get everyone to agree and come together.  Do you think if the old man got the job he’d be spending one second trying to get you to agree with him?  No, he would be pushing through every piece of legislation he could regardless if you approve of it or not before he croaks and Miss Alaska is running things!  So I say stop with the Kumbaya bull-shit, go grow some gonads, screw the opposition, tell those bullies to go to hell, spend the next few years making some real change in this country, and stop pissing off the Jews!  Believe me you do not want to get them mad.
 
 
If you would like advice from Dear Dad you can write him at [email protected].

 

 

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Parties, We Don't Need No Stinkin' Parties!

 

My grandmother was born in England.  She had this kind of half Jewish half English accent.  But just like any good English lady she always drank tea, and always with milk, just like a good Brit should.  Grandma was a tea bagger. She didn’t use any of that fancy herbal tea, only good old fashion Lipton tea bags. She never drank coffee and back then there was no Starbucks so she never had the opportunity to try any of the foo foo coffee drinks that may have opened her world up to the joys of lattés.  That’s right my grandma tea bagged.  She tea bagged every chance she could get.  And she didn’t care who’s tea bags they were, she would soak them, squeeze them dry and get all the juice out of them she could.  She was a real Tea Partier, the real deal. I myself don’t like tea bagging, and only mildly like coffee.  Myself, I like a good beer.  And not just any beer, a good English ale or wheat beer.
  
So here is what I am proposing and hear me out on this.  To all you Tea Partiers, (and by the way, don’t you find it even a little bit funny that in the beginning you called yourself Tea Baggers which is a sexual term that refers to placing a mans testicles in your mouth?  I mean that was really dumb, like Sarah Palin dumb, and that’s really dumb! Oh and what’s the difference between Sarah Palin and a box of rocks?  About 30 IQ points and a red blazer.) and to all you Coffee Partiers, (listen I get it, you’re Democrats and wanted to make a group that countered the Tea Partiers so you called yourself Coffee Partiers, but really that is pretty lame, don’t you agree?  Tea Partiers are up there yelling at the top of their lungs, calling Senators the “N” word, spitting on Democrat Congressmen, throwing rocks and chairs through windows and yelling baby killer at town hall meetings, and you guys are sipping skinny, soy, no whip, grande caramel lattes, while eating cinnamon scones, and low fat cranberry orange muffins.  Way to make an impact!) there has got to be a better way then all of this Democrat, Republican, tea bag, coffee crap.  The problem we have is that in Washington nobody votes simply what they believe.  Democrats vote their party line.  Republicans vote their party line and what ends up happening is that if there is a Republican or a Democrat that wants to sway from the party line and does so, they are then banished from their party and can never make a deal again in DC to get their own bills passed. So what we are stuck with is constant partisan all or nothing votes.  But there is a solution.
 
Eliminate all parties!  I’m talking Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Green Party, Socialist Party, the Constitution Party, all of them!  Let everyone be Independent, think what ever they want, not be bound by party lines, and then we will see some real fireworks happen in Washington!  Just imagine it.  No one could ever be accused of abandoning their party because there wouldn’t be any.  Politicians could wheel and deal with anyone they want to and vote their conscience instead of voting their party.  But how do we start this?  How do we get it going?  Like any movement it has to start with the people.  But it can not happen all at once.  Like any grass roots movement it must start small.  It must happen with one party and then all the other parties will follow suit like lemmings.  I believe the best way to approach this is for every Democrat, and independent to send the following letter to every Republican you know:

Dear (Republican friend),
 
We Democrats and Independents have decided that enough is enough, enough partisanship, enough bickering and enough parties!  Even though we do not see eye to eye on the issues, the party system is not letting us vote our conscience.  Those of us who want to vote different then our party are bound to the party lines and we can not think for our selves.  The solution is simple.  Join us in eliminating the party system, join us in declaring that we are all Independents and join us in voting your mind, not your party.  Together we can create a better America, one that the great Ronald Regan would be proud of!  Now you go first.  Get this ball of independence rolling and we promise to follow next.  Together let’s follow the immortal words of Sarah Palin, “I Quit.”
 
Your Democratic friend and soon to be Independent, I promise, pinky swear, I really will quit my party, you can count on me, would I let you down?
 
(your name here)

 
Before you know it there will be no more Republicans, FOX “News” will be gone, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh will move together to Costa Rica and the only thing left to do will be to have a real party!  I’ll supply the beer.

 

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