Month: April 2008
Pennsylvania — It’s Not All Deer Hunters
As Hillary Clinton slams back boilermakers and talks gun talk in Pennsylvania and Barack Obama parses the bitterness of denizens of the Rust Belt, it’s worth noting that, according to 2006 U.S. Census data, Pennsylvanians are pretty much like most everybody else in the United States. Here are some mildly interesting stats:
- Median age: Pennsylvania 39.5; U.S. 36.4
- Women: 51.4%; 50.7%
- White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 82.1%; 66.4%
- Black alone: 10.7%; 12.8%
- Hispanic or Latino: 4.2%; 14.8%
- Median household income: $46,259; $48,451
- Foreign born: 5.1%; 12.5%
- Persons below poverty: 12.1%; 13.3%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+): 25.4%; 27.0%
- Median home value: $145,200; $185,200
Quote du Jour
A newspaper is of necessity something of a monopoly, and its first duty is to shun the temptations of monopoly. Its primary office is the gathering of news. At the peril of its soul it must see that the supply is not tainted. Neither in what it gives, nor in what it does not give,nor in the mode of presentation must the unclouded face of truth suffer wrong. Comment is free, but facts are sacred.
— C.P. Scott (1846-1932), British journalist, publisher and politician
Polk County Sheriff Releases More Evidence in Cheerleader Beating Case
Sheriff Grady Judd’s motto must be “Don’t Save Anything for the Trial.” Yesterday, he released to the media the tape of the 911 call placed by Victoria Lindsay and her friend’s mother after Lindsay was beaten up by six girls who claim she posted insulting content about them on her MySpace page.
The girls had videotaped the beating, but the tape was confiscated by the sheriff’s department before they could post it. Now, however, it’s all over the Internet, courtesy of Sheriff Judd’s need for media attention. Nobody would have seen the tape until the trial if Sheriff Judd hadn’t needed it to fuel his lust for attention that was gladly satisfied by the likes of the Today Show and CNN, etc.
We’re curious, what do you think the high sheriff of Polk County will release next to keep the media spotlight focused on him? Leave a comment with your prediction.
Stephanopoulos Got Debate Question for Obama about 1970s Radical William Ayres from Sean Hannity
In the Democratic candidates’ debate last night, the “liberal media” teamed up with fake media when ABC News moderator George Stephanopoulos asked Barack Obama about Obama’s connection to the former 1960s radical, William Ayres. Here’s a sketch of the exchange between Stephanopoulos and Fox News’ Sean Hannity, on Hannity’s radio show on WABC:
When Hannity asked about the first question below about Ayers and whether George had plans to ask such a question, George replied, “Well, I’m taking notes now Sean.” It did actually sound like he was pausing to take notes.
George Stephanopoulos was just on the Sean Hannity Radio show getting all chummy with Hannity. George told Hannity that Hannity was “absolutely right” that Obama has tarnished his image as a uniter when he “pandered to the elite San Francisco crowd about the blue collar Pennsylvania workers” (summation of George’s comments, not an exact quote, but close).
Hannity asked George what kinds of questions they’ll be asking at the debate tomorrow and they discussed a few things. When Hannity asked about the first question below about Ayers and whether George had plans to ask such a question, George replied, “Well, I’m taking notes now Sean.” It did actually sound like he was pausing to take notes. And Hannity continued to feed him more:
1) Ask Obama about his relationship with Ayers and WeatherUnderground and Axelrod’s comments, “They’re friendly”
2) Ask Obama why he attended the Million Man March
Here’s the Q&A from the debate:
And the Zell Miller Award Goes to…Joe Lieberman!
What’s the deal with Republicans needing to trot out a Democrat at their convention every four years? And what’s up with so-called Democrats who are eager to play the role of the straight-talking, fair-minded bipartisan who totally gets them?
This year’s Zell Miller award goes to Sen. Joseph Lieberman, party uncertain, of Connecticut, who will probably address the Republican presidential convention when it’s held in Minnesota’s Twin Cities in September.
Let’s just hope Lieberman doesn’t end his address by challenging Chris Matthews to a duel
Sen. Joe Lieberman — the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000 — is willing to address the Republican National Convention if it will help Sen. John McCain win in November, his office confirms to CNN.
In an interview published Tuesday night, the independent Connecticut senator told The Hill newspaper that “If Sen. McCain, who I support so strongly, asked me to do it, if he thinks it will help him, I will.â€
Let’s just hope Lieberman doesn’t end his address by challenging Chris Matthews to a duel. For those of you too young or too old to remember, Zell Miller did precisely that in 2004 when the Hairball host pissed him off totally by asking him, after his shining moment of glory speaking before the adoring Republican assembly, if he was serious about any of that trash he had just talked about John Kerry. Cast your mind back to one of the classic moments in convention history…
Will Pope Deny Communion to Kerry and Pelosi?
Although I know it will just confound Trish, I have recently subscribed to OneNewsNow, an online newsletter backed by the homophobic Jesus boosters over at American Family Association. Why? To keep an eye on the other side of the conversation, monitor the news from Jesusland. Well, there was a mildly interesting story today.
It seems a Catholic pro-life group — American Life League — has taken out ads in the Washington Times and Politico this week to warn Pope Benedict XVI that Catholic lawmakers who support abortion rights are seeking to take advantage of his U.S. trip by receiving communion from him. The ads urge the Pope to “protect the body of Christ from the bloodstained hands of pro-abortion ‘Catholics'” by denying them communion and includes the photographs of 21 prominent Catholics who believe in a woman’s right to choose.
Who knew the Pope reads a newspaper owned by the Moonies?!
As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Pope wrote that if a pro-abortion politician attempts to receive communion, ‘the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it.’
All Catholic lawmakers have been invited by the Vatican to join the pontiff Thursday for a mass at the Washington Nationals’ new ballpark. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) are among the baby-killing Catholic lawmakers planning to attend.
It looks like the Pope might have painted himself into a corner on this one:
Judie Brown, president of American Life League (ALL), argues that pro-abortion Catholic lawmakers like Kerry and Pelosi are in violation of church law — something the Pope himself has determined. In 2004, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote that if a pro-abortion politician attempts to receive communion, “the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it.”
According to Brown, the objective of the ad campaign is twofold: to remind those politicians that Catholics who favor abortion may not receive the Eucharist, and to honor the Pope’s visit to the United States. But pro-abortion Catholics like Kerry and Pelosi, she says, are trying to exploit the papal visit. “There’s no other word for it than defiance of church law,” says the ALL president.
Brown says that because Kerry and Pelosi have not been rebuked by their respective church leaders, they think they are above church law. “Of course that’s been the problem with these politicians all along,” she adds. “[Pelosi and Kerry] feel they have a free ticket, a free ride.” But the Pope, says Brown, is not of the “same fabric” as those politicians’ bishops or cardinals.
I wonder how Benedict will handle the situation at the ballpark. Guess we’ll find out Thursday — see you at the seventh-inning stretch.
