Group: Palin's energy claims ‘not even close’ to the truth
Published Wednesday, September 17, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — A nonpartisan fact-checking organization says Gov. Sarah Palin is “not even close” to the truth in her claims that Alaska supplies 20 percent of the country’s energy.
FactCheck.org said Sen. John McCain also is wrong when he touts Palin as being in charge of 20 percent of America’s energy supply.
Both candidates issued the claims in interviews with ABC’s Charles Gibson. Palin also made the claim at a campaign event Monday in Golden, Colo.
Palin was interviewed several times during two days last week in Alaska by Gibson. According to the transcript on ABC’s Web site, www.abc.com, Palin said, “Let me speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, Charlie, and that’s with the energy independence that I’ve been working on for these years as the governor of this state that produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy.”
Hold it right there, FactCheck.org says. Twenty percent?
“If you’re going to be an energy expert — if that’s going to be your credential for being vice president of the United States — you should at least be able to get the numbers straight,” said Brooks Jackson, director of FactCheck.org.
For 2007, Alaska is credited with 14 percent of U.S. domestic oil production, or 263.6 million barrels, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. However, Alaska accounts for only 5 percent of U.S. oil supplies, which come from foreign and domestic sources. But, Palin failed to qualify the stats as oil-only production. Alaska was responsible for 3.5 percent of domestic energy production and only 2.4 percent of total energy consumed in the U.S.
“Either way, whether she meant total energy production or total energy consumption, she was off by a full order of magnitude,” Jackson said. “I’m sure it was true once, that Alaska produced 20 percent of the oil produced in the U.S., but certainly not 20 percent of the oil consumed in the U.S.”
In a Sept. 3 interview with Gibson, McCain, talking about his running mate, said: “This is a very dynamic person. (Palin has) been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America’s energy supply.”
According to the fact-checking group, McCain used the figure again in an interview Thursday with a Maine news station.
When questioned, a campaign spokesman said Palin was referring to “oil and gas production,” Jackson said. “Lumping oil and gas in together really gets you farther away from the 20 percent figure. ... Her statistics were way off.”
The factcheck.org account says that McCain’s campaign pointed to the Resource Development Council for Alaska for the citation.
The nonprofit council is funded by its members, businesses and individuals from many resource sectors to promote responsible development of Alaska’s resources, including support for mining, oil and gas, fishing, timber and tourism industries.
The McCain campaign did not return a call by press time asking for comment.
Jackson said political reporters seem to be paying more attention to the factual accuracy of what candidates are claiming this year — and that they’re getting frustrated when candidates called out on factual errors keep handing out the same message.
In particular, he said, Palin and McCain were put to task last week on claims that Palin told Congress, “Thanks, but no thanks,” on the so-called Bridge to Nowhere, as she has repeated often on the campaign trail. Yet, Palin kept using the phrase in speeches.
“For a lot of reporters, this was kind of a slap in the face,” Jackson said.
“I think you saw quite a reaction to that.”
Palin hadn’t even taken office when Congress removed a controversial earmark on money for two Alaska bridges, the Knik Arm bridge near Anchorage and a separate bridge that would have linked Ketchikan with its airport on Gravina Island.
The state got the money anyway, based on a federal transportation funding formula.
Her claims about the bridge are wrong in another sense, which has earned her a “flip-flopper” tag from another fact-checking group, PolitiFact.com.
After winning the gubernatorial primary but before the 2006 general election, a Palin spokesperson, Curtis Smith, told the Associated Press that Palin supported the Ketchikan bridge project.
By early February, the new governor, Palin, had cut funding for Ketchikan’s bridge from a state budget proposed by former Gov. Frank Murkowski.
In September 2007, Palin directed the state Department of Transportation to find a fiscally responsible alternative for access to Ketchikan’s airport. She said that without federal funding, the state would not be able to afford a bridge and should instead upgrade the existing ferry system, according to an Associated Press news article.
FactCheck.org is a consumer advocate for voters, “a place where perplexed, confused voters can go when they hear dubious claims from candidates … or when they hear conflicting claims,” Jackson said.
The organization is not so bold as to think its work will change politicians’ behavior. But, Jackson said, voters should know candidates are at best giving only one side of the story, and, at worst, embellishing or falsifying.
Fact-checking groups can iron out the talk and offer up straight information.
“You can’t count on just listening to the candidates to get the full picture,” he said.
Faulty claims can be even more damaging when they’re tied to a basic premise.
McCain is zeroing in on Palin’s experience with oil and gas issues as a way to ground his claims that she is ready for the vice presidency.
After her tenure as mayor of Wasilla, Palin served about a year on the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, a $118,000-per-year appointment. The quasi-judicial state agency manages oil and gas drilling, development and production and other matters on land that falls under the state’s jurisdiction.
The commission’s general concern is protection of health, safety and the environment.
Palin also is credited with securing a deal that could spur construction of a 1,715 mile long natural gas pipeline from Alaska’s far north, with an estimated 224 trillion cubic feet of natural gas resources, to a major natural gas hub in Alberta, Canada.
The deal, forged under the state’s Alaska Gasline Inducement Act, gives TransCanada $500 million in state funds as reimbursement for costs incurred in obtaining pipeline regulatory approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The license does not guarantee that the project — billed as the largest construction project in North America — will actually get off the ground.
Alaska political leaders have sought a natural gas line for years. When Palin took office, she scrapped plans made by her predecessor, Gov. Frank Murkowski, with producers. Instead, in early 2007, Palin proposed AGIA as a transparent, competitive process.
After more than a month of hearings, the Legislature granted an AGIA license to TransCanada in August, as the project that would “maximize benefits to Alaskans,” according to findings by the state Department of Natural Resources.
TransCanada was the sole applicant to meet all the state’s criteria.
Palin actively promoted TransCanada’s proposal before a legislature that was, at times, divided on whether to issue the license.
At a Fairbanks rally Sept. 10 welcoming her return to Alaska, Palin said national energy dependence will start in Alaska with the gas line.
“When the last section of that pipeline is laid and the valves are open, our state — our state — Alaska will be a leader in energy policy and our state will have brought Americans one step closer to energy independence and one step closer to an America free of foreign suppliers that do not have our interests at heart,” Palin said.
Community Discussion
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Queenie and McCain aren't lying, they're just stupid. When I found out she was using a Yahoo email account for state business, I knew right then she was just a bimbo and not to try to read anything else into her actions or thoughts.
dog
I would like to hear more about Alaska supplying energy to itself...
another anti-Palin story by the DNM. When is the DNM just going to come out and say what they think. It would be something like "Send her back to the kitchen" I take that back, I do not think the DNM thinks she good enough to do anything! After reading the DNM I am starting to wonder if she slipped and fell, if she could hit the ground.
Give me a break, airboat -- or should I say airhead? If anything, the DNM has been running far more pro-Palin stories than anything else. We've been hearing so much about her fundraising ability, her great speeches, how much support she's drummed up ... it's nice to get both sides of the story as well. The DNM has done a pretty good job of keeping up to date with everything. It's not perfect, but I think they're doing a bang-up job.
airboat, what this article is doing is showing that our very own maverick reformer is pulling off a great show with her smoke and mirrors. It really frightens me how much she is being herolded for her accomplishments purely from hearsay. Outsiders have no idea about her, but she's like the second coming of Christ for some of them.
O.o No penguins in Alaska............. joebtfsplk... So your little made up story doesn't work. And DNM is printing AGAIN Anti-Palin news again! Like airboat454 says come out and say it! Maybe yall are just trying to get on the liberal lower 48 newspapers good side. Which is really sad... for DNM.
Lets not let facts get in the way on deciding who to vote for President.
akflygirl and others, I guess I don't understand what you're saying. The DNM is reporting that a candidate for national office is saying things that aren't true. I can't figure out if you disagree and think that what Palin said about how much energy Alaska produces is true, or if you think that the DNM shouldn't report when Palin says things that are false.
That story runs about 6,maybe 10 paragraphs too long. First, the bit about the numbers being a bit off. Okay, fine. But she didn't try to make a paraplegic stand up. Then it just goes on the attack about everything else. GRET REPORTING DNM! That there is some non-partisan responsible journalism......
If this is an anti-Palin story, then she brought it on herself with her inability to remain honest, and relying on the ignorance of others not to question her overstated resume. Guess we'll have to wait and see if you can win an election on a fish story.
Don't panic Palin supporters. From my vantagepoint, I only see the DNM, the ADN, and the NY Times bothering to publish this sort of thing. Most news sources down here are too superficial to give it all this much attention. Now, the lipstick story, THAT was front page. But this -- it won't see the light of day down here. And ten paragraphs! That's nine too many. How many Americans would bother to read that far down?
Now, leave me alone while I get back to reading about this OJ trial.
The Laughingstock of the United States of America. What a place the Republican Corrupt B's have taken. Now Sarah and Todd have the National Republican Party running the State in their absence while they speak the party line and tell tall tales about what they have done. The fools listen while the nation is in big trouble because of the Phil Gramm R-Texas, deregulations of the finance industry.
In fact the whole world is laughing at her -just read the foreign press, except Australia, which owns FOX.
Thanks Pinhead, good comment.
Hopefully all of you who have complained, have returned your $1200 to show you do not support the Governor. You have shown you can put your money where your mouth is. Words are cheap, money talks.
How much would 4 Billions cubic feet of natural gas per day add to the equation? Although construction has not started, we do have a signed commitment for the project.
Receiving the $1200 is contingent upon supporting the governor. To say otherwise is absurd.
is NOT contingent...is NOT contingent!!! Good grief...
If giving everyone cash to pay their fuel bills was such a good idea, why does Palin criticize Obama for the same plan?
MORE PALIN LIES !!!11!!!!11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgDCXLhBM...
Has anyone gone to FactCheck.org? Very left winged website....
Guess which ones are the Democrat and Republic! (So True )
Grasshopper and the Ant!
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building
his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and
plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and
demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and
well fed while others are cold and starving.
CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the
shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his
comfortable home with a table filled with food.
America is stunned by the sharp contrast.
How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor
grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper, and everybody
cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green.
Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where
the news stations film the group singing, 'We shall overcome.'
Jesse then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.
Nancy Pelosi , John Kerry, and Barack Obama exclaim in
an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off
the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax
hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.
Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act
retroactive to the beginning of the summer.
The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green
bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his
home is confiscated by the government.
Hillary, ever present, gets her old law firm to represent the grasshopper in a defamation suit against the ant, and the case
is tried before a panel of federal judges that Bill Clinton
appointed from a list of single-parent welfare recipients.
The ant loses the case.
The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits
of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him
because he doesn't maintain it.
The ant has disappeared in the snow.
The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the
house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who
terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2008
Thats it !!!
I'm voting for Obama now ..
When you're going on national television and making speeches, you had better be darn sure your numbers are correct. There's no excuse.
Guess what. This type of reporting has become so muddled it's actually helping McCain's whitehouse bid. The story title sounds scandalous, but in reading it it sounds frivolous. You are giving name-brand recognition power to McCain-Palin and they will win! Thank-you.
FactCheck.org.. Save your breath. The US, by and large doesn't want to know the real truth. Like in the movie "A Few Good Men" the famous line "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" seems to fit well towards the US electorate. Just give us lies. Ignorance is strength. Give us Rush. Give us Fox news. Don't try to confuse us with facts. We can't handle the truth!
More energy stupidity:
"I believe in natural gas as a clean, cheap alternative to fossil fuels."
--Nancy Pelosi
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26377338/pag...
Freedarfur and brassmonkey - that $1200 is money that belongs to ALL Alaskans - not just those of you who are stupid enough to support shallow, ignorant Palin. You don't get to decide which of us is a "true" Alaskan who deserves the payment from taxes on OUR resources.
The fact that none of you Palin supporters even care that she spends most of her time lying and the rest of her time embellishing her sorry resume, is too sad. It clearly demonstrates your own lack of education when you don't realize that the job of vice president requires much more education, knowledge, and experience than does the job of flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant, for example. Not just any average joe or jane can be a good and effective vice president.
(This comment was removed by the Newsminer.com staff. Please see our User Agreement for further information.)
akjak, see my attempt at correction above...
akjak:
The fact that none of you Obama supporters even care that he spends most of his time lying and the rest of his time embellishing his sorry resume, is too sad. It clearly demonstrates your own lack of education when you don't realize that the job of president requires much more education, knowledge, and experience than does the job of flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant, for example. Not just any average joe or jane can be a good and effective president.
There . . . fixed!
This is terribly misleading. What she said was that Alaska provides about 20% of domestic production, not consumption. And the pipeline is running at half capacity. With ANWR, we could double our production. This would be good for everyone.
#
Fairbanksgas
9/17/2008, 7:31 a.m.
Suggest removal
How much would 4 Billions cubic feet of natural gas per day add to the equation? Although construction has not started, we do have a signed commitment for the project.
-----------------------------------
there is no commitment for the pipeline as the article states. and it could cost Alaska 100's of millions if it is scrapped like the one under former Gov. Frank Murkowski.
"The deal, forged under the state’s Alaska Gasline Inducement Act, gives TransCanada $500 million in state funds as reimbursement for costs incurred in obtaining pipeline regulatory approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The license does not guarantee that the project — billed as the largest construction project in North America — will actually get off the ground."
and
Alaska political leaders have sought a natural gas line for years. When Palin took office, she scrapped plans made by her predecessor, Gov. Frank Murkowski, with producers.
DrKaren---
The $1200 is a resource rebate. Sharing some of the surplus generated by the windfall that the state received with the price of oil skyrocketing. You dont have to pay your fuel bills with it. It is your money. You could give it to Obama, if you wanted to.
The federal govenment has no surplus. The former community organizer Obama's plan to put money in voter's pockets, to supply "free" health insurance, and to provide "free" college means that he will have to take that money from somebody else. It is nothing more than wealth redistribution, a.k.a. socialism.
That's the difference.
It is not Anti-Palin to point out the truth it is common sense.
This article is a prime example of why I have a problem with press reports lately. The story starts out with a headline:
"Group: Palin's energy claims ‘not even close’ to the truth"
With this headline we expect the story to be about what this group has to say about Palin. Cool, fine, good to go. It's a legit article whether one thinks it's bashing Palin or speaking the truth. Where it all goes wrong is when it drifts into ten different tangents about Palin that have nothing to do with the original headline. At this point it becomes nothing more than an opinion peice printed on the front page. But wait! The headline says "Group:" so the DMN prints it as a news article and not what it really is.
This doesn't just go for political news, I see it all the time with reportings from Iraq, business reports, just about everything. Add this into the all too common "annoymous source" quotes and we have nothing but a bunch of hack reporting.
The Fairbanks Daily Anti-Palin News-Miner...
Pinhead, you're in luck as others are actually covering the misstatement of facts.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/palin-wro...
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/th...
(better watch that "libby" rag, The Atlantic, must be biased)
http://www.startribune.com/nation/284745...
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/a...
(The Conservative Voice - another libby rag, I'm sure)
PastPresentandFutureAlaskan - Hi Hybrid.
I want to vote for politicians who don't rely upon exaggerations and lies.
Maybe the reason there haven't been many stories about Obama lying to the American people is that Obama hasn't lied to the American people. Just a thought.
I mean, I suppose it is plausible that a local newspaper with conservative tendencies in a conservative city would be a bitter enemy of the most popular conservative governor of a conservative state ever. I think it is more likely that this is an example of a conservative newspaper putting aside bias successfully to report on one of the potentially most important people in Alaskan history.
To those of you who call out the News-Miner for bias, those of you who claim that Obama is an idiot, those of you who support Palin and the Republican ticket rain or shine, hell or high water, honesty or lies; answer this: What do you think of the fact that Palin and McCain lied, outright, and knowingly, to the American people about something as trivial as Alaska's share of domestic energy?
Palin sold out Alaska.....
This is the best you can come up with? This long winded story about how Alaska doesn't really control 20% of the US domestic oil production?
We must be blessed, and there must not be anything else newsworthy going on.
Next time you want to criticize someone for embellishing a few statistics to sell themselves, take a long hard look over your own resumes.
Has she killed anyone? been charged in a sex crime? Maybe she has received a few hundred thousand dollars under shady circumstances? under investigation for fraud? tax evasion? Child abuse? No?
Before you wave your anti-palin banners too high, perhaps you should remember if you voted for Clinton. Yea, now there was a real winner. The poster child of scandals and immorality. Perhaps you thought Hillary had more going for her, because she was former first lady. (I'm still thanking the lord, she's been put out to pasture.)
On a personal note, I don't think she really likes McCain that much, but he's a free ride to the white house. She'd be a real fool not to take it. She's going to bend a little bit, supporting his propaganda in order to get them both there. That's just the way some politics have to flow. Palin-McCain will win over Obama.. get over it.
Stop trying to make something out of nothing. Come back when you actually have something of significance to report.
Henry,
It's obviously a liberal conspiracy. I mean this thing goes all the way to the top. Did you know that the DNM is actually at the head of an international organization to take away all the guns of the world, give all the money to poor people, and make Spanish our official language? It's true, and I'm afraid I've already said too much.
Think about it... It makes so much sense. The head quarters of this secret organization is the DNM because no one would ever expect it! The New York Times is simply the figurehead of this thing to distract people from the truth.
Well, now you know. I probably won't be seen around for a while now that I've spilled the beans on this thing. Spread the truth!
If Sarah stated there are Alaskans who live in communities where the sun never rises beyond the horizon for several weeks her Lower 48 Elite types would challenge her integrity. Below: some of the leadership Elites of FastCheck.org and guess what; there are no Alaskans listed below?
Brooks Jackson: Director, Annenberg Political Fact Check
Brooks Jackson is a journalist who covered Washington and national politics for 34 years, reporting in turn for The Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal and CNN.
Viveca Novak: Deputy Director, Annenberg Political Fact Check
Viveca Novak is a journalist who covered politics and government in Washington for nearly 20 years, reporting in turn for Common Cause Magazine, National Journal, the Wall Street Journal and Time magazine. She holds an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University and an M.S.L. from Yale Law School.
Dr. Kathleen Jamieson, Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, has written extensively on the press, politics, and presidential campaigns.
Lori Robertson is a journalist who covered the media for nine years as an editor and writer for American Journalism Review, a bimonthly media watchdog magazine. 1993 graduate of Duquesne University with a B.A. in advertising. A 1993 graduate of Duquesne University with a B.A. in advertising.
Staff Writer Joe Miller earned his BA in philosophy from Hampden-Sydney College, his MA in philosophy from Virginia Tech, and his PhD in political philosophy from the University of Virginia. Emi Kolawole
Staff Writer, Emi Kolawole earned her B.A. in international relations and theater studies from Wellesley College and studied abroad at both the Panthéon-Sorbonne and the National Theater Institute.
Staff Writer: Justin Bank earned both his B.A in Political Science and Public Communication and his M.A in Applied Politics at American University.
Staff Writer: Jessica Henig earned her BA in history of science from Smith College, and her MA in English from the University of Maryland.
Researcher: D’Angelo Gore earned his B.A. in journalism at Temple University and joined the Annenberg Public Policy Center in October 2007.
Valkyrie:
"Well, now you know. I probably won't be seen around for a while now that I've spilled the beans on this thing."
Probably not, with the Bush dictatorship and all that . . . It's a shame , but he's managed to silence nearly every liberal voice in the country. Have a nice disappearance!
Has she killed anyone? Probably not
been charged in a sex crime? Not that I know of
Maybe she has received a few hundred thousand dollars under shady circumstances? Probably
under investigation for fraud? Do ethics violations count?
tax evasion? Who knows
Child abuse? Might be some neglect there. I don't see how with all she has going on she can take care of her children, especially her new born that well. I suppose she has Todd and various legions of paid child care workers though.
So you're making the claim that voting for Clinton was worse? Really? Yes, what he did was *much* worse than illegally invading another sovereign nation under false pretenses. Despite what happened with Clinton he left office with a 65% approval rating, the highest of any president since WWII. What do you think Bush will leave office with?
And that's the best reason I've ever heard to be VP. "Well, I don't really have the experience, but a free ride's a free ride. I'b be stupid not to do it!"
Don't you people have jobs?
Valkyrie, I think I love you and your 11:36a.m. post.
Matthew, you said:
"Has she killed anyone? been charged in a sex crime? Maybe she has received a few hundred thousand dollars under shady circumstances? under investigation for fraud? tax evasion? Child abuse? No?"
Are you advocating that those are the standards by which we should now be judging our political candidates? Maybe you're not really saying that but you seem to be implying that if we have any questions about Palin's abilities or issues on positions then we should simply look back to a vote for Clinton for our answers...or we should not raise any concerns because 'that Clinton' was a bad man in your eyes. That is foolish.
PastPresentAndFutureAlaskan:
Yes, I have been to factcheck.org, and it has fact check on all the candidates. So, if "seeking the truth" is "left", then, yes, this is a "left" website. However, I was under the impression that the truth is something we are all entitled to. It doesn't take a left-wing website to tell you she wasn't citing correct figures. Even so, if she was thinking of the 14% from a mathematical standpoint, when they teach you to round a number to the nearest "ten" back in the 3rd grade, you know that fourteen rounds DOWN to 10% not up to 20%.
Tok, I stand (sit) corrected. But as we can see above, reading is one thing, believing something else. Still, thanks for correcting me.
The bottom line is this; if you state something convincingly in front of a large audience (such as in your first ever national TV interview), it automatically becomes true.
Examples are:
"I've been working on for these years as the governor of this state that produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy."
as well as:
"I am ready!"
Those are the facts, and you don't need factcheck.org to tell you that they are 100% true if you want to believe that they are true.
I really wish people would stop questioning every single thing all the time. Our Governor has spoken, that's should be all that matters. She speaks the truth, the best she knows it, and hence whatever she says becomes fact.
Questioning her words is not just un-American, it's un-Alaskan (not Unalaskan).
Be strong! Do not allow reality, which is well known for its liberal bias, to skew your perception of truth.
Lighten up!!!! This is an election year!!!
Truth, like beauty is seen by eye of the beholder.
Democrats will vote to BO.
Republicans will vote McCain.
We have the greatest political entertainment on Earth. Pigs and pit bulls with lipstick; a female cat fight between Billary and Sarah; a lawyer from the slums doing battle with a war POW nearly beaten to death.
And for the winner, leader ship of the worlds most powerful nation and the western world.
Looks to me McCain and Sarah have earned promotion.
Pinhead, I only wanted you to know that there was a little light out there even if it is cloudy. I also wanted some of the conspiracy theorists to know that it wasn't only the "liberal rags" who were reporting it. I agree reading and believing are 2 different things and that it sure would be nice if more people would read with a critical eye. Have a good one.
a few on here seem to think that Obama has never lied to the American people. Let's humor that fact that might be true. I doubt it, but it could happen. Anyway, if that theory ius proved, it would only be because Obama has never really TOLD the American people anything of substance that could be anaylized and found to be a lie.
You see, the democratic party is rattling the saber of "change" and "hope". But where is the no-B.S. information? Statistics? Calculations? Plans? Wasn't it Rudy Guliani that said during the RNC to the point of Change can be a mantra, but it can't be aplan, and hope isn't a strategy.Obama/Biden have shown no concrete plans for all of the "change" they want to make.
Furthermore, it is said that the dems are workign for the working man. I beg to differ. Take a look at the "offshore drilling" bill that just passed through the democratic congress. Simple smoke and mirrors to push the agenda regardless of what the actual American people are saying. When will someone, from either party, do their job and listen to the people/the majority?
While the DMN does a good job of reporting local news, their political reporting as about as useful as the National Enquirer.
JP,
"While the DMN does a good job of reporting local news, their political reporting as about as useful as the National Enquirer."
You do know aside from local politics, a lot of their national political stories are AP, right?
"Don't panic Palin supporters. From my vantagepoint, I only see the DNM, the ADN, and the NY Times bothering to publish this sort of thing. Most news sources down here are too superficial to give it all this much attention. Now, the lipstick story, THAT was front page. But this -- it won't see the light of day down here. And ten paragraphs! That's nine too many. How many Americans would bother to read that far down?"
Well, Yahoo is my main page and I look at their news page quite frequently, and over the past few weeks I've consistently seen stories on Palin on both the main Yahoo page and the news page, often under the banner "Most Popular." The stories range from Troopergate to pit bulls and lipstick to the content of her speeches. So I do think that at least some of these stories are getting national exposure. (And yes, I know Yahoo is just one example and that not everyone gets their news online.)
I do know this. However, the associated press isn't completely innocent of spinning a story, regardless of the amount of truth, towards one side or the other.
I view the AP like a crooked referee; cheat a little to help one side, then feel guilty and cheat a little to the other.
Overall, I am more troubled by how sided reporting is not only known, but played off by both sieds. And from the political party, we, the American people, still don't get anyone in office that remembers that they work for us. These people are treated like royalty, and their political campaign is treated like a mix of part- televised football game and part-daytime soap opera. Anyone who is holding their breath for a big war pullout or a big economy fix from either party is in for a big let-down. This isn't a game and these guys aren't entertainers. Whomever wins, they are gonna spend the first year of their election kssing all of the butts that made it possibkle for them to get into office, then "righting a few wrongs" which boils down to pushing whatever agenda their party serves, and none of this is by listening to THE MAJORITY of the American people.
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