Journalism

Celebration Of Journalism At White House Correspondents’ Dinner!

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Last night, for the first time since 2016, the profession of journalism was celebrated at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington DC.

The years in between had included Donald Trump boycotting the event, and then the COVID 19 Pandemic made such events not possible for a few years.

President Joe Biden saluted the importance of the profession of journalism, which has been under vicious attacks by the extremist right wing Republican party elements, led by Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and a multitude of other authoritarian leaders, with only a small percentage resisting such condemnation of the truth of events.

Journalism is what keeps a nation free and informed, and it is the job of journalism to expose facts, truth, reality, no matter what or who it exposes to the light of day!

Journalism and journalists are under constant attack, and in many nations, including the Russian Federation, Iran, mainland China, North Korea, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and a multitude of other nations that attack democracy, journalists are arrested, tortured, and murdered.

These journalists are true heroes, and America must not allow the forces of evil in this nation to destroy the First Amendment, and suppress the reality of the attack on women’s rights, civil rights, gay and lesbian rights, gun regulations, voting rights, education, environmental advancement, and so much more!

Dan Rather Reaches Age 89, Still Fully Productive After First Recognition At Time Of JFK Assassination In 1963

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Today marks the 89th birthday of a true journalistic treasure, Dan Rather, who has spent 70 years in the field of journalism, and is best remembered and recalled as the anchor of the CBS Evening News from 1981-2005.

Rather first became noticed when he was reporting in Dallas, Texas, at the time of the John F. Kennedy Assassination on November 22, 1963, and he also served in Vietnam as a war correspondent in the mid to late 1960s.

He had brushes of conflict with President Richard Nixon, when Rather was CBS White House Correspondent in the 1970s, and also with Vice President George H. W. Bush when he was running for President in 1988.

He never backed off from any confrontation, and when he reported on President George W. Bush’s absence from the National Guard when he was supposed to be on duty, during the Presidential campaign of 2004, it led to CBS firing him, but Rather being totally correct in the exposure of the lies of Bush.

Rather continues to be outspoken on Twitter, and on YouTube and he looks hale and hearty and still very young in appearance as he nears 90 next year.

This author and blogger has always admired Rather greatly, and is glad to see he is in the fray on Donald Trump and the Presidential Election of 2020, so let us all hope for many more years of contributions and good health from a great anchor over 24 years, but still active at a ripe old age!

The So Called “Liberal News Media” Are True Heroes, Constantly Explain Facts And Truth!

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Donald Trump, as usual, condemns the “liberal news media” as a “hoax”, as “fake news”, as journalists who are out to get him, as if it is the job of news media to be “nice” to Presidents and other political leaders.

If one went back to the past, ask Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and other Presidents how they reacted to constant harsh criticism from the media of their time periods.

Of course, they did not like it, but NONE of them acted the way Donald Trump has, which is a threat to democracy and freedom of the press!

The news media, often called “liberal”, is only called that because they refuse to support corruption, racism, nativism, misogyny, homophobia, corporate wrong doings, religious hypocrisy, and lack of ethics and morality among public figures.

They are out to report the truth, the facts, and take a lot of flack from those who choose to ignore the fact of their accuracy and honesty, with an occasional, human trait, error, but not intended, not endemic, and not evil spirited!

It was the news media that saved us during Watergate, and it is the news media that is doing heroic service in working to prevent a Trump dictatorship, which he would love to impose on the American people.

Journalists worldwide and in this nation have often sacrificed their safety and even lives, in their mission to inform, and nothing will stop them from their commitment and willingness to sacrifice for the common good!

New York Times: 168th Anniversary Worthy Of Celebration

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Today, September 18, is the 168th anniversary of the New York Times, the best newspaper in America, and maybe in the world at large.

Founded in 1851, it became famous as the newspaper with the slogan: “All the News That’s Fit to Print”.

The newspaper has had its ups and downs, and has made mistakes, and been controversial, as they are presently for their revelation about Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh and sexual harassment, based on a lack of clear cut reporting on a new book on the Justice.

But despite that, there is still a recognition in the journalism profession that the New York Times has been in the forefront of so much important news in detail, and revelations that might not have occurred otherwise.

Despite its lack of perfection, the New York Times is still more to be trusted and revered than any politician, who does not like the willingness of the New York Times to be attacked for mostly telling the truth.

So Donald Trump attacks the news media, and particularly the New York Times and Washington Post, the two best newspapers who have held his administration to the fire in an appropriate manner to preserve our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

No President, no Senator, no Congressman, no public personality in any endeavor can rest, knowing that the New York Times will do what it must do to preserve freedom and democracy for the long run.

So when one might occasionally be angry or irritated by some article in the New York Times, remember they are not here to be popular, but to be our guardian, and so one should always be glad that the New York Times does well, because to imagine the paper’s demise would be a sign of the downfall of the American Republic,

And every scholar, including this one, is indebted to the New York Times, for having been of great assistance in the publication of books and articles. My two books could not have been published without using the New York Times Index, and being amazed at the unbelievable depth of reporting provided in the pages of the New York Times for so long a time frame.

The New York Times has survived many demagogues in the world, and will survive Donald Trump, for certain!

Journalism Keeps Us Free And Informed: Pulitzer Prizes In Journalism And Abusive Government In Conflict

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In the midst of a massive attack on the free press by Donald Trump and his supporters, it is instructive to look at the role of major newspapers in informing the American people and keeping us free.

This is the record of the history of the Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, the top eleven recipients over more than a century:

New York Times–127

Washington Post–47

Los Angeles Times–45

Wall Street Journal–37

Chicago Tribune–27

Boston Globe–26

Miami Herald–22

St. Louis Post Dispatch–19

Atlanta Journal Constitution–17

Des Moines Register–17

Baltimore Sun–15

Five of these newspapers are in the Northeast; Two in the Southeast; Three in the Midwest; and One on the Pacific Coast.

399 Pulitzer Prizes for the top eleven Newspapers in America!

“The Truth Shall Set You Free!”

The free press will outlive the threat of Donald Trump, as it has for other government leaders, most notably Richard Nixon, who have criticized the truth telling and revelations of the top news media!

Donald Trump Defends And Believes Murderous Authoritarians Mohammed Bin Salman, Kim Jong Un, And Vladimir Putin: The Degrading Of The Moral Authority Of The Presidency

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Donald Trump is the most despicable President in American history, not because he negotiates with authoritarian dictators in the hope of avoiding conflict, but because he, publicly and privately, will take their word, and believe what they say, when they deny murderous activities against Americans and against journalists.

So we have Mohammed bin Salman who was well aware and responsible for the horrific murder of American journalist and Saudi Arabian national Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018.

So we have Kim Jong Un who was well aware and responsible for the mistreatment, torture and death of American student Otto Warmbier in 2017.

So we have Vladimir Putin who has arranged the death of journalists and other critics who have been murdered outside the Kremlin and in foreign nations by chemical agents, and also denies involvement in the 2016 Presidential election in the United States in favor of Trump over Hillary Clinton.

By publicly accepting these three liars and their denials, Trump adds to his reputation as a massive liar, who has no concern for human rights and common decency.

In so doing, Donald Trump degrades the moral authority of the American Presidency, and besmirches the office.

For that, he will be condemned in history, and it will cement his last place status among Presidents, below James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson.

Donald Trump’s Attack On Bob Woodward, The Master Journalist With 45 Years Of Excellence, Falls Flat

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Donald Trump’s attack on journalist Bob Woodward, famous from Richard Nixon and the Watergate Scandal, and author of 18 best selling books over four and a half decades, falls flat.

Trump has been exposed for who he is, not only by Woodward, but also by the “Anonymous” op-ed in the New York Times; by Omarora Manigault Newman’s book; by the Michael Cohen guilty plea; the agreement of Trump Organization Treasurer Allen Weisselberg to cooperate; and now, most recently, by the Paul Manafort guilty plea.

The evidence of how dangerous and unhinged Trump is, plus his criminal activity of Russian collusion, obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, is magnifying, and when, as seems likely, the Democratic Party gains control of at least the House of Representatives in November, clearly shown in all public opinion polls, action will be swift toward impeachment and potential resignation of the President.

Trump is flailing at his “enemies”, but the nation has become clearly disillusioned with Trump, and particularly so with women, minorities, the young, and suburban educated people.

Bob Woodward is one of the greatest journalists and authors of modern times, and his new book will stand the test of time and veracity, without any question.

Woodward helped by his journalism, along with Carl Bernstein, to bring down Richard Nixon, four and a half decades ago, and now Woodward, along with others, will help bring Donald Trump down, and accountable to the justice system.

George Orwell’s “1984” And The “Big Lie” Technique Of Totalitarian Governments (Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, et al), And Donald Trump 2018

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We are now witnessing a President who evokes the novel “1984” by George Orwell, about the totalitarian mind and society.

He also has become a well known master of the “Big Lie” technique utilized by Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, the People’s Republic of China, Fidel Castro’s Cuba, and other totalitarian nations such as North Korea, and Vietnam, but also used now by Putin’s Russia, Turkey, Egypt, the Philippines and other autocracies.

The battle to preserve the American democratic republic we have is becoming more intense, as on the horizon, we could see Donald Trump taking brash actions, without adequate response by Congress and the courts.

His attack on journalism and the news media are a threat to all of us, as without a free press (both print and electronic), we are on the road to a dictatorship, which would be intolerable, and likely would lead to the outbreak of civil war, a horrifying thought, as it would cause total collapse of the American economy. It would lead to large numbers of dead and wounded (probably far greater in a nation now eleven times the population in 1860), and would make us a nation under constant threat and possible takeover by enemy nations, including Russia and China.

That is why the battle to change Congress in November is more urgent than at any time in modern history.

This is a question of life and death long term for this nation, which has been a beacon for many around the world.

A Potential Way For Democrats To Win White Working Class Vote Of Midwest And Pennsylvania In 2020: A Ticket Of Joe Biden And Sherrod Brown!

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Face the facts: The 2020 Presidential race has begun, as several politicians in both parties, and even Donald Trump, have started to appear in Iowa and or New Hampshire, the first caucus and first primary state respectively.

There is a myriad of potential candidates for the Democrats, but the thought comes to mind that the Democrats cannot afford to sacrifice the white working class of the Midwest and Pennsylvania, which were lost by Hillary Clinton by small margins in 2016.

And when one thinks about the wide variety of nominees, the thought that comes to mind, at least to this observer, is that a ticket that could win the vote that gave Donald Trump the victory in the Electoral College in 2016, is:

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN OF DELAWARE
SENATOR SHERROD BROWN OF OHIO

Biden and Brown, the KILLER BEES, were both under consideration in 2016, but Biden did not run due to the death of his son Beau Biden, and Brown was on a short list for Hillary Clinton, but Tim Kaine was selected instead.

Both Biden and Brown have made their careers to a great extent on the backing and support of the white working class, from which both came, and which both understand, and it is part of their “blood”, so to speak.

Brown must win his Senate seat in Ohio this November, but is favored, and has expressed interest before in higher office, and he has served two terms in the Senate, and 14 years before that in the House of Representatives, and also served as Ohio Secretary of State for eight years before coming to Congress. He also served in the Ohio legislature for eight years before that. So he has vast experience, being in elected office 42 of the past 44 years, since 1975

And of course, Joe Biden sought the Presidency in 1988 and 2008, and is superbly qualified for the White House with 36 years in the Senate and eight as the most active and involved Vice President in history, shared with Walter Mondale under President Jimmy Carter, having served a total of 44 years from 1973 to 2017.

When have we had two people on a national ticket, each with 44 years in office by 2020? NEVER, and both are solid progressives who care about the American people!

Both Brown and Biden are aggressive campaigners, and great orators, and would know how to take the fight to Donald Trump, Mike Pence, or any other Republican nominee for President.

Ohio is the crucial state in so many elections, and Brown could bring the whole Midwest and Pennsylvania to the Democrats, and Biden knows how to appeal to the struggling white working class.

Of course, many will say Joe Biden will be too old at age 78, and that Sherrod Brown at age 68 makes for an old ticket, and that no women or minorities or younger nominees would have the opportunity to be the nominees in a nation that is leaning toward a more diverse future. But Joe Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, a community college professor, and Brown’s wife, Connie Schultz, a well respected journalist who won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 2005, would also add to the campaign as future First Lady and Second Lady of the land. Schultz has focused on the underdog and underprivileged in her journalism career, and is now Professor of Journalism at Kent State University, after years of being a journalist at the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper.

The first goal is to WIN the White House, and it is hard to argue against the idea that a Biden-Brown ticket could bring success.

Time For Donald Trump To Be Held Accountable For Sexual Crimes

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In the midst of all of the revelations about sexual harassment and sexual abuse of a multitude of Hollywood figures, and people involved in politics, journalism, and the business world, Donald Trump has gained a free pass.

His supporters did not care about his sexual escapades which were numerous over the years, and he did not care about exposure of such exploits, but he has continued to say that all the women who have claimed abuse and exploitation are liars, even after the Access Hollywood tape that nearly derailed his candidacy in October 2016, until FBI head James Comey announced and then backed away from a further investigation of Hillary Clinton, which took attention off that Trump scandal.

There is so much evidence by his own public statements that Donald Trump is a master at exploiting women, probably more so than Bill Clinton, and possibly more than many others who have been exposed, but still managing to avoid accountability.

Now, in the midst of this scandal of powerful men exploiting women, is the time for a full prosecution in court of the claims of the multitude of women against Donald Trump.

And since Bill Clinton was impeached, partially for his sexual exploits and lying, so should the same situation await Donald Trump.

One of the impeachment charges against Donald Trump should be his lack of moral and ethical rectitude, and if Bill Clinton is to be dredged up after facing impeachment and disbarment, so should Trump meed the same fate.