Fox News Channel has recently dismissed Sarah Palin and Dick Morris from their group of “celebrities”, and has hired former Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich and former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, joining former Indiana Senator Evan Bayh and journalist Juan Williams as their “open minded, liberal” brain trust to improve their image.
Is this a good thing? Yes, in the sense that, hopefully, it might change the editorial view of Roger Ailes and others at Fox News Channel, to attempt to be more fair in their news coverage, and their weekend analysis of the news and politics.
But a station which has Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly spewing their right wing propaganda, and having other right wing favorites, including Mike Huckabee, Neil Cavuto, Andrew Napolitano, Monica Crowley, and Dana Perino, and even a publicity hound such as Geraldo Rivera, has a long way to go before it gains true credibility as a REAL news channel, instead of a propaganda organ, which has the effect of making its followers LESS informed than if they did not watch any news!
Ronald, I am curious about your opinion regarding the testimony that Chris Crane, president of the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council 118, made before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Since the mainstream media, which has terrible ratings by the way, has not covered, I suspect you have not, as well as hundreds of millions Americans, heard about it. Here is the video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWNiVaLGaik&feature=player_embedded and here is the transcript: http://es.scribd.com/doc/125361126/2-13-13CraneTestimony I thought I would bring this up as a testimony as how the mainstream media completely ignores lets say “inconvenient” news.
One more clip on the same news that is ignored. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5yNTMevuN8
Juan, I am troubled by the pressures and tensions that ICE agents face, and obviously, there are cases of illegal, undocumented immigrants who are involved in criminal activities.
However, the implication is that Barack Obama has not enforced immigration laws, when more illegal, undocumented immigrants have been deported under Obama than under Bush or any earlier President.
If the President chooses to promote a policy to focus on criminal problems, rather than those who have overstayed on a visa, or to avoid separating children born in America from their parents and relatives, I say all to the good, as we are a compassionate nation, and immigrants are the lifeblood of our society, both in their work efforts and in the constant need for growth of a future young population, as the nation ages. Otherwise, the whole social safety net is in greater danger of not having enough younger population long term to support the system that makes us a nation with social programs that we wish to be proud of!
Professor Feinman and Juan, you might find this extensive study interesting. Immigration law enforcement is not as easy or cheap as some think.
I read it and it contains a plethora of facts, recomemdations, costs, etc.
My take is this is no easy issue and it’s something that needs strong focus. But with this do nothing congress and their bullheaded determination to obstruct ANYTHING President Obama proposes, I doubt things will improve much. If they did under Obama, he would get political credit. the Republican Party will not allow that.
Operation Streamline Cost and Consequences
http://grassrootsleadership.org/sites/default/files/uploads/GRL_Sept2012_Report-final.pdf
Thanks for this, Maggie! I appreciate it, and I hope Juan does as well! 🙂
obama had two years with a majority that would have allowed passage of most anything. He chose to waste his political capitol on the hugely unpopular obama care issue, that caused the loss of the House. You reap what you sow, obama is just a poor leader.
Obama did NOT have a fool proof 60 votes in the Senate to prevent a filibuster by the GOP, except for a brief period.
Obama is such a “poor leader” that he is one of only four Presidents in the past century to have won a MAJORITY of popular votes twice, along with FDR, Ike, and Reagan. Not bad for a “poor leader” when Bush did not win the popular vote the first time, and Clinton never had a majority either time!
I was not alluding to obama’s election results only the quality of his character.
Obama has a lot more substantial character than George W. Bush or Bill Clinton, for sure! You just do not agree with him, which is your privilege, but no one can doubt his character, objectively!
Yes I can, it has been on display since he was a second rate Senator. His performance is the worst since Jimmy Carter and the most divisive since Lincoln, that alone is a measure of poor leadership.
Interesting that you say most divisive since Lincoln, who is regarded as the best President in American history by most experts! And I would say Bush II is the worst President, as Carter did not cause two major wars that were unwinnable, and a poor reaction to a major hurricane, and the collapse of the economy at the end, where he looked like a deer in headlights. And Carter also had intelligence and character, while Bush II has neither!
And Obama was inexperienced in the Senate, yes, but there is no way to call him second rate, and I am sure you do not think Marco Rubio or Rand Paul is second rate, and they have no more of a record in the Senate than Obama had.
One can legitimately argue that Carter’s ineptness in his handling of the Iranian crises was the cause of many of our current middle east problems that may have precipitated those wars. At any rate he was another man who was not prepared for the task at hand. I do not argue that Carter is not a man of considerable character.
And Reagan worked with Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden, so I guess Reagan can be called incompetent too, and also out of it mentally much of the time, covered up by his wife, and top advisers, from the public!
Working with Hussein was part of the attempt to deal with Carter’s ineptness with Iran.
Reagan was an example of good leadership, a person whom fostered respect among colleague and opposition, no one is perfect Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease.
Actually, Reagan was poorly informed but had a few good advisers. He was no great man for knowledge, and distorted the truth very often. Yes, Alzheimers is a terrible disease, and he should have left office after four years!