Who’s Really ‘Playing Politics’? by Timothy Karr, Media for Democracy 2004

Sinclair executives give overwhelmingly to Republican causes and candidates. Of the top twenty TV and Radio companies to make political contributions in 2004, Sinclair Broadcasting Group is among the most conservative, giving 98 percent of its $65,434 in political contributions to GOP candidates. Sinclair CEO and President David Smith personally gave $2,000, the maximum individual contribution, to President Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign. …

Sinclair’s snub of “Nightline” — and their disingenuous rationale for the action — smacks of censorship and political manipulation.

McCain Calls Nightline Nix ‘Deeply Offensive’ By CARL HULSE, NYTimes

”There is no valid reason for Sinclair to shirk its responsibility in what I assume is a very misguided attempt to prevent your viewers from completely appreciating the extraordinary sacrifices made on their behalf by Americans serving in Iraq,” Mr. McCain wrote. ”War is an awful, but sometimes necessary business. Your decision to deny your viewers an opportunity to be reminded of war’s terrible costs, in all their heartbreaking detail, is a gross disservice to the public, and to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. It is, in short, sir, unpatriotic. I hope it meets with the public opprobrium it most certainly deserves.” …

”I supported the president’s decision to go to war in Iraq, and remain a strong supporter of that decision,” Mr. McCain’s letter said. ”But every American has a responsibility to understand fully the terrible costs of war and the extraordinary sacrifices it requires of those brave men and women who volunteer to defend the rest of us.”

Sinclair Responds to Senator McCain

In fact, we will be replacing ”Nightline” this evening with a balanced report addressing both sides of this controversy. … lest there be any doubt about ”Nightline’s” motivation, both Mr. Koppel and ”Nightline’s” executive producer have acknowledged that tonight’s episode was
influenced by the Life Magazine article listing the names of dead soldiers in Vietnam, which article was widely credited with furthering the opposition to the Vietnam war and with creating a backlash of public opinion against the members of the U.S. military who had proudly served in that conflict.

Sincerely yours,
David D. Smith
CEO [and Bush contributor]

The Jesus Factor: Understanding the President and His God By ALESSANDRA STANLEY, NYTimes

The question is not, When did George W. Bush accept Jesus as his personal savior? The ”Frontline” documentary ”The Jesus Factor,” on PBS tonight, raises a different issue: Do most Americans realize just how fervent the president’s evangelical faith really is?

[T]he program reminds viewers that this ”faith-based” president has blurred the line between religion and state more than any of his recent predecessors: a vision that affects the Iraq conflict as well as domestic policy. …

Once the younger Mr. Bush’s faith took hold, it spread to his political ambitions. ”I believe that God wants me to be president.” …

The

Jesus Factor: Understanding the President and His God By ALESSANDRA STANLEY, NYTimes

The question is not, When did George W. Bush

accept Jesus as his personal savior? The ”Frontline” documentary ”The Jesus Factor,” on PBS tonight, raises a different

issue: Do most Americans realize just how fervent the president’s evangelical faith really is?

[T]he program reminds viewers that

this ”faith-based” president has blurred the line between religion and state more than any of his recent predecessors: a vision

that affects the Iraq conflict as well as domestic policy. …

Once the younger Mr. Bush’s faith took hold, it spread to his

political ambitions. ”I believe that God wants me to be president.” …

This is a completely unscientific, untrustworthy poll. Still, you may want to see the results. To vote, you have to register with an email and postal address. mjh

Pledge your Vote – Pledge Statistics Congress.Org

If the Presidential election were held today, who would America choose? Who would your state pick?

May 1st will be the first anniversary of ”Mission Accomplished” and Bush’s first campaign commercial. Remember it well. mjh

Keepers of Bush’s image

George W. Bush’s ”Top Gun” landing on the deck of the carrier Abraham Lincoln will be remembered as one of the most audacious moments of presidential theater in American history.

The Image of Security

Tom Ridge, 57, is talking a lot about ”branding” these days. …

THE campaign commercial

All this so one draft dodger could put on a show for the cameras? So an AWOL Texas air guardsman could play hero for a day? So an armchair warrior could gloat over defeating a fourth-rate army while our fighting men and women were forced to spend an extra day away from their families? I want my money back, Mr. President. — JON DRUCKER

Frankly, I think if your position never changes, you’re probably dead. Still, it is amazing how the myth of a ”resolute” Duhbya is so out of touch with the reality of Duhbya:

* in the 2000 campaign, he opposed using the military for nation building
* in the 2000 campaign, he said the president should ”jaw-bone” OPEC to lower prices
* in the 2000 campaign, he claimed to be ”a uniter, not a divider”
* Bush opposed the Homeland Security Department
* Bush refused to let Rice testify before the 9-11 Commission
* Bush invaded Iraq because of 9-11, no, to destroy WMDs, no, to depose a tyrant, no, to liberate a grateful populace, no, to make democracy bloom in the Middle East, no, to find WMDs …

This is just part one, off the top of my head. I honestly think one should not expect people to never change a view; I appreciate subtlety and nuance. However, it seems to matter to Bush that Kerry ”flip-flops”. In that case, I say hoist Bush on his own petard, hang him by his own words, make him eat his own dog food.

Please contribute other examples of Bush’s flip-flops. Thanks. mjh