March 26, 2012
March 25, 2012
Ron Paul Fact Versus NYT Fiction
by Diane V. McLoughlin, March 25, 2012
A New York Times editorial yesterday, in discussing the results of a report by a congressional watchdog outfit with the acronym 'CREW', smears Republican presidential candidate and twelve-term congressman Ron Paul with the charge of nepotism. Six family members of Dr. Paul's have worked on two previous political campaigns, each reimbursed for their hours via the campaigns or PACs. That is privately raised money, not public taxpayer funds. By the same measure, we would call all family-run restaurants or corner stores hotbeds of nepotism, too. When I hear a politician accused of nepotism, the charge typically pertains to employment within the pol's public office, or, using their political influence, secures a plum job for kin in exchange for political favors.
Fudging the facts, the NYT also write off Ron Paul's (and Newt Gingrich's) chances of winning the Republican leadership nomination. (Gingrich and Paul Fail to Affect Louisiana Vote; Michael D. Shear, 24/03/12.)
Mr. Shear asserts that Ron Paul 'has settled into a losing pattern, failing even to compete for a first- or second-place finish anywhere.' This is complete fabrication.
Ron Paul came in a strong second in both New Hampshire and Virginia. In Virginia, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich didn't even have the organization to get themselves on the ballot.
In Iowa, Romney and Santorum were almost tied for first, with Paul strong, next in line. Ron Paul also came in a strong second in Maine.
Now let's talk delegates. Mr. Shear writes that in Louisiana, 'Mr. Santorum won decisively.' Is that so?
Louisiana held it's primary March 24th, 2012. Louisiana has 46 delegates allocated to it when voting for the next leader of the Republican Party. The national convention will be held in Tampa, Florida, in August. Louisiana's precinct straw poll allocates an initial 20 delegates. As Santorum got more or less 50% of this straw poll vote, he will now have 9 or so delegates out of 46. Most of the delegates remaining are decided at, next county, and then the state-wide convention. The entirety of the contribution by the New York Times to our understanding, via Mr. Shear? Zero percent.
Fact: Across the country, the political battle for delegates rages on. Mysteriously, there is almost no discussion about it in the popular press. Ron Paul is winning delegates, and it's an interesting story.
The reasons why Ron Paul inspires can be summed up as follows: His faith in and dedication to the Constitution; his desire for peace within secure borders instead of endless war; his understanding of economics and how to achieve national prosperity; his desire for limited government; and his commitment to safeguard civil liberty.
I wrote a comment to the NYT hit-piece but so far it hasn't appeared. For some reason. I don't know why. So I wrote this, instead.
___________
A New York Times editorial yesterday, in discussing the results of a report by a congressional watchdog outfit with the acronym 'CREW', smears Republican presidential candidate and twelve-term congressman Ron Paul with the charge of nepotism. Six family members of Dr. Paul's have worked on two previous political campaigns, each reimbursed for their hours via the campaigns or PACs. That is privately raised money, not public taxpayer funds. By the same measure, we would call all family-run restaurants or corner stores hotbeds of nepotism, too. When I hear a politician accused of nepotism, the charge typically pertains to employment within the pol's public office, or, using their political influence, secures a plum job for kin in exchange for political favors.
Fudging the facts, the NYT also write off Ron Paul's (and Newt Gingrich's) chances of winning the Republican leadership nomination. (Gingrich and Paul Fail to Affect Louisiana Vote; Michael D. Shear, 24/03/12.)
Mr. Shear asserts that Ron Paul 'has settled into a losing pattern, failing even to compete for a first- or second-place finish anywhere.' This is complete fabrication.
Ron Paul came in a strong second in both New Hampshire and Virginia. In Virginia, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich didn't even have the organization to get themselves on the ballot.
In Iowa, Romney and Santorum were almost tied for first, with Paul strong, next in line. Ron Paul also came in a strong second in Maine.
Now let's talk delegates. Mr. Shear writes that in Louisiana, 'Mr. Santorum won decisively.' Is that so?
Louisiana held it's primary March 24th, 2012. Louisiana has 46 delegates allocated to it when voting for the next leader of the Republican Party. The national convention will be held in Tampa, Florida, in August. Louisiana's precinct straw poll allocates an initial 20 delegates. As Santorum got more or less 50% of this straw poll vote, he will now have 9 or so delegates out of 46. Most of the delegates remaining are decided at, next county, and then the state-wide convention. The entirety of the contribution by the New York Times to our understanding, via Mr. Shear? Zero percent.
Fact: Across the country, the political battle for delegates rages on. Mysteriously, there is almost no discussion about it in the popular press. Ron Paul is winning delegates, and it's an interesting story.
The reasons why Ron Paul inspires can be summed up as follows: His faith in and dedication to the Constitution; his desire for peace within secure borders instead of endless war; his understanding of economics and how to achieve national prosperity; his desire for limited government; and his commitment to safeguard civil liberty.
I wrote a comment to the NYT hit-piece but so far it hasn't appeared. For some reason. I don't know why. So I wrote this, instead.
___________
March 24, 2012
March 23, 2012
EUs Baroness Ashton resign?: Toulouse, Gaza and All Children Who Suffer From Conflict
by Diane V. McLoughlin, March 23, 2012
Nile Gardiner, writing in The Telegraph (link, below,) argues that Baroness Ashton, EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, should resign for comments she made at the recent UNRWA conference, 'Palestine refugees in the changing Middle East.' (UNRWA: United Nations Relief and Work Agency.)
I disagree. Baroness Ashton should be commended. She stated the following:
"We are gathered here because we have recognised the potential of the youth of Palestine. Against all the odds, they continue to learn, to work, to dream and aspire to a better future. And the days when we remember young people who have been killed in all sorts of terrible circumstances – the Belgian children having lost their lives in a terrible tragedy and when we think of what happened in Toulouse today, when we remember what happened in Norway a year ago, when we know what is happening in Syria, when we see what is happening in Gaza and Sderot and in different parts of the world – we remember young people and children who lose their lives. Here are young people who are asking not to be leaders of the future, but to be taken seriously as leaders of today. And it is to them that we should look and to them we should listen and it is to them that I pay tribute."
Mr. Gardiner writes that, 'The comments drew an angry response from Israeli leaders.'
Tough. First of all, this suggests that these 'Israeli leaders' represent all Jewish opinion, when nothing could be further from the truth. There are contemporary Jewish writers; philosophers; and political leaders; there are rabbis as well as Jewish historians, who argue for the civil liberties of all people in Israel-Palestine. However, there are others who are not interested in equal rights in Israel-Palestine. And the latter are a threat to the long-term stability of Israel. They also contribute to the fear that they will increase anti-Semitism for Jews throughout the world.
This excellent article by Jewish Voice for Peace's 'Muzzlewatch' helps bring context into the discussion. In early September, 2011, despite months in the planning between the Museum of Children's Art of Oakland, California (MOCHA) and Berkley California's Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA), a planned exhibit of Gaza children's art was abruptly cancelled, due to intense pressure brought to bear against it by several local Jewish groups. The art depicts childrens' experiences during Israel's 2008-2009 assault on Gaza, known as 'Operation Cast Lead.' (Cancelling the exhibit probably did not have the intended effect. As evidenced here, it helped raised the exhibit's profile, instead.)
Below: From the exhibit, 'A Child's View From Gaza'
These attempts to censor all discussion of the immense suffering daily being inflicted upon 1.5 million men, women and children in Gaza; that seeks to stifle all peaceful advocacy within civil society toward securing their freedom as well as clinching an end to the conflict; creates a pressure cooker of hopelessness, despair and frustrated rage.
Newspapers should be responsible enough not to provide a platform for anyone who would seem to insinuate that some children are of more intrinsic worth than others. I fail to see what other conclusion I am encouraged to reach, than this, from reading Mr. Gardiner's piece.
The public discourse is now far advanced from such ignorance regarding the oppression of the Palestinian people, as well as Gardiner's blatant pro-Israel bias that flies in the face of the facts. He trots out the tired propaganda that Israel is a "fully democratic government...which goes to extraordinary lengths to avoid civilian casualties"; both platitudes are proveably false.
The fact of the matter is that deflecters in no way serve Israel's long-term interest, if her interest is peace, which I argue it is. Turning attention away from Israel's current deeply flawed and racist reality prolongs, rather than shortens, the conflict.
Preceeding the catastrophic Toulouse outrage by days, an innocent twelve-year old Gaza boy was on his way to school one morning when an Israeli drone cut him down from above. His upper body was discovered in a search of the neighborhood when he didn't show up for school; it had been blown into some brush. His poor mother is beyond consolation.
The suffering of children in all conflicts is clearly what the Baroness laments. But for the children of Gaza, this, apparently, is beyond the pale.
The now-deceased Toulouse shooting suspect is alleged to have committed his heinous acts to avenge the suffering of Palestinian children (as well as France's participation in the military occupation of Afghanistan.) This is the reasoning of a deranged man. One does not garner the world's sympathy for the atrocities your foe commits against you by committing atrocities. Such inexplicable acts only further the false claim that there are no partners for peace on the other side.
--------------
Link: Baroness Ashton should resign over her appalling remarks equating Toulouse with Gaza – Telegraph Blogs
Nile Gardiner, writing in The Telegraph (link, below,) argues that Baroness Ashton, EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, should resign for comments she made at the recent UNRWA conference, 'Palestine refugees in the changing Middle East.' (UNRWA: United Nations Relief and Work Agency.)
I disagree. Baroness Ashton should be commended. She stated the following:
"We are gathered here because we have recognised the potential of the youth of Palestine. Against all the odds, they continue to learn, to work, to dream and aspire to a better future. And the days when we remember young people who have been killed in all sorts of terrible circumstances – the Belgian children having lost their lives in a terrible tragedy and when we think of what happened in Toulouse today, when we remember what happened in Norway a year ago, when we know what is happening in Syria, when we see what is happening in Gaza and Sderot and in different parts of the world – we remember young people and children who lose their lives. Here are young people who are asking not to be leaders of the future, but to be taken seriously as leaders of today. And it is to them that we should look and to them we should listen and it is to them that I pay tribute."
Mr. Gardiner writes that, 'The comments drew an angry response from Israeli leaders.'
Tough. First of all, this suggests that these 'Israeli leaders' represent all Jewish opinion, when nothing could be further from the truth. There are contemporary Jewish writers; philosophers; and political leaders; there are rabbis as well as Jewish historians, who argue for the civil liberties of all people in Israel-Palestine. However, there are others who are not interested in equal rights in Israel-Palestine. And the latter are a threat to the long-term stability of Israel. They also contribute to the fear that they will increase anti-Semitism for Jews throughout the world.
This excellent article by Jewish Voice for Peace's 'Muzzlewatch' helps bring context into the discussion. In early September, 2011, despite months in the planning between the Museum of Children's Art of Oakland, California (MOCHA) and Berkley California's Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA), a planned exhibit of Gaza children's art was abruptly cancelled, due to intense pressure brought to bear against it by several local Jewish groups. The art depicts childrens' experiences during Israel's 2008-2009 assault on Gaza, known as 'Operation Cast Lead.' (Cancelling the exhibit probably did not have the intended effect. As evidenced here, it helped raised the exhibit's profile, instead.)
Below: From the exhibit, 'A Child's View From Gaza'
These attempts to censor all discussion of the immense suffering daily being inflicted upon 1.5 million men, women and children in Gaza; that seeks to stifle all peaceful advocacy within civil society toward securing their freedom as well as clinching an end to the conflict; creates a pressure cooker of hopelessness, despair and frustrated rage.
Newspapers should be responsible enough not to provide a platform for anyone who would seem to insinuate that some children are of more intrinsic worth than others. I fail to see what other conclusion I am encouraged to reach, than this, from reading Mr. Gardiner's piece.
The public discourse is now far advanced from such ignorance regarding the oppression of the Palestinian people, as well as Gardiner's blatant pro-Israel bias that flies in the face of the facts. He trots out the tired propaganda that Israel is a "fully democratic government...which goes to extraordinary lengths to avoid civilian casualties"; both platitudes are proveably false.
The fact of the matter is that deflecters in no way serve Israel's long-term interest, if her interest is peace, which I argue it is. Turning attention away from Israel's current deeply flawed and racist reality prolongs, rather than shortens, the conflict.
Preceeding the catastrophic Toulouse outrage by days, an innocent twelve-year old Gaza boy was on his way to school one morning when an Israeli drone cut him down from above. His upper body was discovered in a search of the neighborhood when he didn't show up for school; it had been blown into some brush. His poor mother is beyond consolation.
The suffering of children in all conflicts is clearly what the Baroness laments. But for the children of Gaza, this, apparently, is beyond the pale.
The now-deceased Toulouse shooting suspect is alleged to have committed his heinous acts to avenge the suffering of Palestinian children (as well as France's participation in the military occupation of Afghanistan.) This is the reasoning of a deranged man. One does not garner the world's sympathy for the atrocities your foe commits against you by committing atrocities. Such inexplicable acts only further the false claim that there are no partners for peace on the other side.
--------------
Link: Baroness Ashton should resign over her appalling remarks equating Toulouse with Gaza – Telegraph Blogs
March 22, 2012
March 17, 2012
Presidential candidate Ron Paul - Principles Versus Pundits
In yesterday's edition of the Chicago Tribune, an *article on the Republican leadership race boasts potentially record-breaking attribution to five(!) in-house reporters. Maybe that's how many it takes to successfully screw with the facts. Otherwise, one wonders how it is that five reporters, working on one story, can still manage to miss mention of presidential candidate Ron Paul, a candidate recently pegged by conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson as 'dangerous'; which is to say a potent political force not to be underestimated.
But what about Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich?
A vote for Mitt 'multiple-choice' Romney is a vote for President Obama. With all Romney's millions, he can't get voters to warm to him.
Rick Santorum can't beat President Obama, either. Santorum recently claimed that the Constitutional provisions separating church and state make him want to hurl. He sounds like too much of a religious radical. That is not going to sell in a general election. While the best the Trib can come up with to plump Santorum's cred is 800 people showing up this week for a Chicago-area dinner - which, grant you, isn't bad -Ron Paul's speech at the University of Illinois drew a raucous crowd of 5,000-plus.
Newt Gingrich was drummed out of public office by his own party, back when he was Speaker. He was fined hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for ethics violations, too. Although, asking his second wife for a divorce while she was recouperating from cancer surgery in hospital is also impressive. It certainly impresses me, although not really in a good way.
Ron Paul polls highest amongst the largest bracket of voters these days: independents. He's a strict constitutionalist. He believes in equal rights and individual liberty. Ron Paul wants to bring the troops home. He gets more campaign donations from the active military than all the other candidates put together. Ron Paul is the only candidate to have served active duty. Ron Paul is Christian like the rest of the candidates. He just seems to not to want to use the fact of his faith for political gain. He is a faithful husband, a father, and grandfather. Dr. Paul has delivered 4,000 babies during his medical career. He is into his twelfth-term as a congressman from Texas. His economic proposals garner accolades from economists and investors. In several recent polls Ron Paul is running even with, or polling better than, President Obama.
The latest political ad from The RevolutionPac [31 secs.]:
What more can be said about Ron Paul? The last word:
"One of the most principled men I have ever met."
- Illinois Congressman Tim Johnson, in his endorsement of Ron Paul for President of the United States.
-----------------------------------------------------
*Presidential campaign takes center stage in Chicago area today - chicagotribune.com ; by Tribune reporters Kristen Mack, Monique Garcia, Rick Pearson, Bill Ruthhart and Becky Schlikerman, March 16, 2012.
ronpaul2012.com
Youtube: Ron Paul
March 16, 2012
March 12, 2012
Rick Santorum 'very proud' of earmarks and pork spending projects
Informative while entertaining, the above ad was produced by the Rick Perry campaign. (Stumbled upon it during my internet travels today; March 12, 2012. dvm.)
March 11, 2012
March 08, 2012
March 07, 2012
March 04, 2012
March 03, 2012
March 01, 2012
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