Message #162884

[Harconen]

It is reported that the CBS Evening News set an all-time low for ratings, with an average of only 4.89 million viewers for the five days of June 15–19. ABC’s World News averaged 6.42 million viewers per broadcast. Some of the drop is likely the result of more Americans getting their news from the Internet, while other viewers have switched to Fox News to avoid the consistently sycophantic Obama coverage on the three major networks. [3521, 3522]

 

Political leaders from Puerto Rico head to Washington, D.C. on June 24 to push for approval of the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009. The legislation calls for a referendum on the island to determine whether its residents want Puerto Rico to have full independence, independence with a “special association with the United States,” or become the 51st state. Opponents say the bill is stacked in favor of making Puerto Rico a state. If that happens quickly enough, there may be hundreds of thousands of new Democrats voting in the 2012 election, and the state would be sending one new Congressman and two new Senators to Washington—who would most certainly be Democrats supporting Obama’s socialist agenda. [3525]

 

Organizers of a July 4 tea party tax and spending protest in Atlanta have to cancel the event after a last minute refusal by the property owner to allow the gathering. In March, event organizers had secured an agreement to use a large parking lot at the former Macy’s building at Gwinnett Place Mall. With less than two weeks to the event, the property owner, Simon Property, cancels the agreement. (The owners of Simon Properties, Melvin and Bren Simon, are liberal Democrats who contributed heavily to Obama’s inaugural committee.) The original agreement was made prior to the successful April 15 tea party that drew an estimated crowd of 20,000. The last minute termination of the July 4 agreement may have been intentional, to prevent organizers from having enough time to arrange a new location. The termination also meant no fireworks for the residents of the Gwinnett area on Independence Day; a display had been planned immediately after the tea party event. (Disappointed tea party organizers urge supporters to boycott Simon properties.) [3527, 3549, 3556, 3603, 3608]

 

Iranian opposition activist Mohsen Sazegara, who fled the country after being jailed, tells Newsmax, “I was hoping President Obama would lead the world and start a boycott of Iranian oil. This is the best way to save the lives of the Iranian people.” Sazegara was disappointed by Obama’s weak words and lack of support for the protestors when he said in his June 23 news conference that it is “not too late for the Iranian government to see there is a peaceful path that leads to legitimacy in the eyes of the Iranian people.” Sazegara states, “I never expected President Obama to say something like that. I had been expecting Obama to say we promise the people of Iran we won’t deal or negotiate with any government that does not represent the majority of the people in Iran. I had expected him to be very clear.” Sazegara, who has a weekly program on the Persian Service of Voice of America (VOA), has been receiving more than one thousand e-mails from within Iran every day. He states, “Obama claims to be like President Lincoln. Then he should uphold the principles of Lincoln.” (It is worth noting that words can make a difference. In 1983, leftists and appeasers roundly criticized President Ronald Reagan for calling the Soviet Union an “evil empire.” But Lech Walesa, leader of Poland’s Solidarity movement and the nation’s president (1990–1995), has stated that Reagan “…could not have helped us better. I don’t think any missiles or any army could have been more effective.” Reagan uttered two words that helped bring down an evil communist regime, but Obama does not want to “meddle” in the affairs of Iran—the world’s primary sponsor of terrorism. (Obama is, however, more than willing to “meddle” in Israel’s affairs, telling it where it can and cannot build homes and businesses.) [3537]

 

In a discussion of Obama’s proposed health care plan, CNN’s Campbell Brown says, “I mean, it’s clear the current system isn’t working, so why not be open to trying this (“Obamacare”)?” For the vast majority of Americans, of course the current system is working. Brown’s question is akin to “Why not try socialism?” [3550]

 

To help boost his chances of getting his national health care plan approved by Congress, Obama solicits “scare stories” to make Americans believe their health care system is atrocious and in need of his cure. A web page on barackobama.com asks people to “share your story” to “put a face on the health care crisis.” The web page also requests donations to help in the lobbying efforts. [3540, 3541]

 

Anita Moncrief, a former ACORN employee who “blew the whistle” on the organization by reporting its fraudulent practices, is being sued by Project Vote (an ACORN affiliate). The lawsuit seeks $5 million in damages for “trademark infringement” and dilution, conspiracy, theft of trade secrets, and fraud. Clearly, ACORN and Project Vote are playing hardball to discourage anyone else from exposing their corrupt activities. Columnist Michelle Malkin writes, “You don’t have to be a lawyer to see that this is a blatant act of retaliation… The real reason they are going after her is because she poses a fundamental threat to ACORN’s criminal racket.” The mainstream media has generally not reported Moncrief’s story because it discredits ACORN and Project Vote, both of which have had long associations with Obama. (Obama was named the Illinois head of Project Vote in 1991, and worked with and for ACORN on numerous occasions over the years.) [45, 55, 227, 240, 283, 322, 324, 3542, 3543]

 

A group of 40 Congressmen send a letter of protest to ABC for the its planned coverage to push Obama’s national health care plan. The letter states, “The decision by ABC News officials to devote an entire day, June 24, to the “President’s health care agenda” culminating with a primetime healthcare “town hall” gives the American people a slanted view of an important subject.” Because Obama will be allowed a chance to advocate his plan without opposition, the Congressmen charge, “It’s as if ABC News is providing in-kind free advertising for President Obama,” and “It all gives the appearance of a state-run television network.” [3544, 3544]

 

Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) introduces a bill that would “…prohibit the use of stimulus funds for signage indicating that a project is being carried out using those funds.” The administration is planning on installing a sign at the site of each “stimulus project” to remind Americans that the “Project (is) Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.” The cost of the signs is estimated to be at least $6 million. States Gregg, “To spend taxpayer dollars on signs touting the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act at each and every project does nothing for households who are struggling to get by or for those who’ve lost their jobs during the economic downturn. These signs are simply for political self-interest, and it’s about time they stop so that stimulus dollars can be put to better use.” [3546]