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One thing becomes clear in this latest AP piece of garbage complaining about how bad America is, America is now home to some of the biggest cry babies and spoiled sacks of self pity on the planet and the Associated Press could not be happier echoing their pessimistic, gutless complaining.

The Associated Press: Americans mark unhappy birthday: ‘Too much wrong’

Even folks in the Optimist Club are having a tough time toeing an upbeat line these days.

Eighteen members of the volunteer organization’s Gilbert, Ariz., chapter have gathered, a few days before this nation’s 232nd birthday, to focus on the positive: Their book drive for schoolchildren and an Independence Day project to place American flags along the streets of one neighborhood.

They beam through the Pledge of Allegiance, applaud each other’s good news — a house that recently sold despite Arizona’s down market, and one member’s valiant battle with cancer. “I didn’t die,” she says as the others cheer.

But then talk turns to the state of the Union, and the Optimists become decidedly bleak.

The only glimmer of sanity in Pauline Arrillaga’s 2367 word rant of why theres “too much wrong” as we Americans mark this “unhappy birthday” is the following:

In 2008, using history as a yardstick, life actually is better and richer and fuller, with more opportunities than ever before.

“Objectively things are going real well,” says author Gregg Easterbrook, who discusses the disconnect in his book “The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse.”

He ticks off supporting statistics: A relatively low unemployment rate, 5.5 percent in June. (Employers did, indeed, cut payrolls last month by 62,000 jobs, but consider the 10.1 rate of June 1983 or the 7.8 rate of June 1992.) Declining rates of violent crimes, property crimes and big-city murders. Declining rates of disease. Higher standards of living for the middle class and the working poor. And incomes that, for many, are rising above the rate of inflation.

It’s no wonder the AP is woried about bloggers clipping their content, putting out trash like this I’d be worried too.

The Optimist International organization seems like a very well intentioned organization aimed at helping kids but one would think with the name “Optimist International” they would go a little lighter on the pessimis, If not, I think I would reconsider the name “Optimists Club”.

Meeting the needs of young people in communities worldwide, Optimist Clubs have been “Bringing Out the Best in Kids” since 1919. Optimist Clubs conduct positive service projects aimed at providing a helping hand to youth. Club Members are best known in their communities for their upbeat attitudes. By believing in young people and empowering them to be the best they can, Optimist volunteers continually make this world a better place to live.

Technorati Tags: ap, associated press, july 4th, optimists club

Talking Points Memo is giddy because it seems David Axelrod from team Obama puts CNN John Roberts in his place when Roberts questions Obama’s change from immidate withdrawal of troops from Iraq to his phased withdrawl plan.

Talking Points Memo | Pays To Do Your Homework

Obama’s Axelrod administers a gentle smackdown to CNN’s John Roberts …

It seems TPM should “do their homework” and Obama’s own David Axelrod is the one whose “knowledge doesn’t extend far enough”. Axelrod an arrogant cocky prick if there ever was one and I am no John Roberts fan.

Here is Obama saying he wants to IMMEDIATELY withdraw troops from Iraq.

Some articles Axelrod and the TPM crack staff may want to glance at:

Obama calls for immediate withdrawal from Iraq | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii’s Newspaper

CLINTON, Iowa — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is calling for the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. combat brigades from Iraq, with the pullout being completed by the end of next year.

“Let me be clear: There is no military solution in Iraq and there never was,” Obama said in excerpts of the speech provided to The Associated Press.

“The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq’s leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops. Not in six months or one year — now,” the Illinois senator says.

Obama calls for the immediate withdrawal of US combat troops from Iraq | Mail Online

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has called for the immediate withdrawal of all US combat brigades from Iraq, with the pullout being completed by the end of next year.

“Let me be clear: There is no military solution in Iraq and there never was,” said Obama.

“The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq’s leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops. Not in six months or one year - now.”

Newsbusters has more on Obama’s Iraq flipping and flopping.

Update: 7/3 Obama now reserves the right to “refine” his “Iraq plan”?

Technorati Tags: talking points memo, josh marshall, obama, iraq, 2008, cnn, john roberts, david axelrod

It’s funny that when MSNBC gets caught putting out false press releases claiming ratings victory and gets caught, TVnewser starts out by claiming “It’s no secret networks may take a little…creative license when it comes to ratings releases.”

TVnewser wasn’t so curious about MSNBC massaging of ratings numbers while trumpeting Olbermann’s phony “ratings win”.

Technorati Tags: tvnewser, msnbc, cable ratings

What a surprise, MSNBC caught lying and distorting their ratings again.

Not to mention using the death of Tim Russert to falsely inflate the ratings of Hardball.

MSNBC Says It Erred On June ‘Hardball’ Ratings - 7/1/2008 4:52:00 PM - Multichannel News

By using the 5 p.m. info, rather than program data, MSNBC was including in its tally special coverage it had aired on Meet the Press moderator Russert’s death and memorial.

Technorati Tags: msnbc, cable ratings, hardball

Keith Olbermann’s finest “Special Comment” Ever!

Technorati Tags: olbermann, fisa, special coment, msnbc

“Vandals” left business cards with messages supportive of Hillary Clinton on the windshields of cars spray painted with anti Obama messages and racial slurs. If the messages on the business cards were supportive of John McCain, the media and blogs would have most definitely claimed this was done by McCain Supporters not mere “vandals”.

Think Progress conveniently leave out the fact that the cars that were spray painted with anti-Obama messages such as “Obama Smokes Crack” also had “business cards” left on the windshields of the cars supporting Hillary Clinton.

City Vehicles Vandalized With Political Messages - News Story - WFTV Orlando

Along with the paint, hundreds of business cards were left on windshields. The cards contain criticism of Obama on one side and support for Hillary Clinton and her family on the other side. The same cards were left on Channel 9 vehicles in Daytona Beach several weeks ago.

I think if the cards had “support for John McCain and his family on the other” that fact would not only have been included in Think Progress’s story but in their headline as well.

‘Obama’ Hate Messages, Graffiti Cover 60 Orlando City Vehicles - Orlando News Story - WKMG Orlando

Special business cards left near the damaged vehicles contained negative messages about Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain. However, there were positive words about Sen. Hillary Clinton, Local 6’s Kimberly Houk reported.

Countdown to when the left calls it a ‘Rovian Plot”.

Technorati Tags: spray painted, orlando, obama, mccain

Surprise of the week (NOT), Nancy Pelosi supports revival of The Fairness Doctrine.
From Human Events.

What’s a committed group of progressive leftist democrats to do when all attempts at gaining a listening audience have failed.

Fairness Doctrine

It’s funny how the left begs for the fairness doctrine and radio but wants a hands of policy when it comes to the internet, perhaps because the left knows they have the advantage in online presence. Lets see how loud the lefties like Daily Kos and MYDD would be screaming if Uncle Sam told them they to provide “blog space” to voices from the right.

Technorati Tags: fairness doctrine, pelosi, democrats, radio, human events

What does the far left like The LA Times, The Huffington Post and Firedoglake consider a joke? When President Bush compliments and comments on “the great talent” of Filipino Americans including The White House Chef Cristeta “Cris” Comerford, who by the way is the fist woman to hold the position of White House Executive Chef.

President Bush Meets with President Arroyo of the Philippines

PRESIDENT BUSH: Madam President, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to the Oval Office. We have just had a very constructive dialogue. First, I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that — in which there’s a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the — of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Yes.

PRESIDENT BUSH: And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President.

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Thank you.

What does the far left think of President Bush complimenting the talent of Filipino Americans and hiring the first woman White House executive chef?

Firedoglake » Ladies and Gentlemen, “The President of the United States”

It’s been a long seven years, five months. And it’s getting longer.

Yesterday, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited the White House. The trip occurred in the wake of the tragedy in that country where a typhoon devastated the coast areas and capsized a ferry carrying over 800 passengers last week.

So, sad, but really not too difficult a duty for a Head of State when such a foreign leader visits; you sympathize and make a gracious statement on the tragedy.

But, not the worst Head of State in American history:

Bush jokes about the White House chef - Los Angeles Times

Cristeta “Cris” Comerford was named White House chef in August of 2005, after 10 years as an assistant chef in the White House kitchens. Trained in culinary arts in the Philippines, Austria and the United States, Comerford, a naturalized U.S. citizen, has been unusually press-averse for a White House chef — declining most interviews and preferring to do her talking through her cuisine.

But Tuesday, welcoming Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the White House, President Bush couldn’t resist getting in a joke about his chef.

First, said Bush, “I want to tell you how proud I am to be the president of a nation that — in which there’s a lot of Philippine Americans. They love America and they love their heritage.”

Second, he continued, “I am reminded of the great talent of the — of our Philippine Americans when I eat dinner at the White House…. And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President.”

It’s very interesting that the left sees a joke or stereotyping here, seems the left are the ones who immediately equates Filipino immigrants with”kitchen workers”. Leave it to elitist, white progressives to tell immigrants when to be offended because apparently the progressive lefties believe immigrants, including Filipino Americans can’t tell when and if they are being complimented or insulted.

I wonder what the left would say after learning of President Bush commenting on the talent of Filipino Americans when referring to the man who has “proven” the existence of “Global Warming”?

Over the past decade, the world has come to know about an alarming phenomenon called “global warming”. But very few know that the NASA senior research scientist who has proven it is a Filipino, Dr. Josefino C. Comiso.

……But Josefino Comiso, a senior research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, found precisely the proof that they needed. The study showed the amount of ice at the end of the summer 2005 was the smallest seen in 27 years of satellite imaging, and probably in 100 years. “It has never occurred before in the past,” said Comiso in an interview. “It is alarming. … This winter ice provides the kind of evidence that it is indeed associated with the greenhouse effect. I hate to say we told you so, but we told you so,” he added.

And It seems the comenters at the LA Times smear piece, some who are of “Filipino descent” see nothing wrong with President Bush’s compliment of the White House Chef;

Even though Bush is a dumbass.. I really don’t see anything wrong with his comments about Filipino-Americans.

Posted by: Brady | June 24, 2008 at 02:28 PM

……..Why does the LATimes sponsor a column that not only eagerly anticipates the end of the president’s term, but also warps a simple pleasantry into some kind of racist joke? Closer to graffiti than journalism.

Posted by: Nick | June 24, 2008 at 03:02 PM

Where’s the “joke” in this story? Am I missing something?

Posted by: George Feldt | June 24, 2008 at 03:19 PM

I am of Filipino descent and I do not find Pres. Bush’s comment about The Whitehouse Filipino Chef Cornerford insulting. I do not find anything wrong with what he said.. lighten up people!

-jasp

Posted by: JASP | June 24, 2008 at 03:41 PM

Bush To Filipino President: “I Am Reminded Of The Great Talent Of The — Of Our Philippine-Americans When I Eat Dinner At The White House” - Politics on The Huffington Post

Before discussing aide for the Philippines, Bush couldn’t resist beginning the sober meeting with a quip about a Filipino member of his kitchen staff. Read part of the transcript from the meeting and click here to read more about one of the “Philippine-Americans” Bush is referring to.

It seems like just yesterday when the democrats were virtually silent over their own DNC party chairman Howard Dean spouting actual racist jokes and stereotypical comments.

BAW: Was DNC Chair Howard Dean’s “Hotel Staff” Barb Racist or Racial?

During a meeting last month with black Democrats in Washington, D.C., Dean joked during a speech, “You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? Only if they had the hotel staff in here.”

Dean’s Identity Crisis - June 9, 2005 - The New York Sun

In February, Dr. Dean told the DNC Black Caucus, “You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? Only if they had the hotel staff in here.” His remarks not only accused Republicans of racism but also identified minorities with menial labor.

Technorati Tags: firedoglake, hufington post, white house chef, bush

The left and the media are abuzz about Newsweek’s Poll showing Barack Obama opening a 15 point lead over John McCain.

But there is one small problem, Newsweek oversampled Democrats 324 to 231 Republicans.

So a sampling of 40% more Democrats to Republicans is needed to give Obama a 15 point lead?

Poll: Obama Opens Up 15-Point Lead | Newsweek Politics

Barack finally has his bounce. For weeks many political experts and pollsters have been wondering why the race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain had stayed so tight, even after the Illinois senator wrested the nomination from Hillary Clinton. With numbers consistently showing rock-bottom approval ratings for President Bush and a large majority of Americans unhappy with the country’s direction, the opposing-party candidate should, in the normal course, have attracted more disaffected voters. Now it looks as if Obama is doing just that. A new NEWSWEEK Poll shows that he has a substantial double-digit lead, 51 percent to 36 percent, over McCain among registered voters nationwide.

——

Obama’s current lead also reflects the large party-identification advantage the Democrats now enjoy—55 percent of all voters call themselves Democrats or say they lean toward the party while just 36 percent call themselves Republicans or lean that way.

Newsbusters has more - Yahoo! Hypes Newsweek Poll With 15-Point Obama Lead

Democrats (including Democrats in the media) are unhappy the presidential race is within five points, so they’re eager to find wider polling margins than that. Yahoo! readers saw this headline at the top of the news on Saturday morning: “Obama widens lead over McCain by 15 points in latest poll.”

Technorati Tags: obama, polls, elections, 2008, media, newsweek, 15 points

The top five stories on McClatchy’s front page feed - Showing Some Love for Terrorists.

I guess when you’re forced to reduce your workforce by 10% you start trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Newsrooms today aren’t for the chicken-hearted

McClatchy Co., which owns The Herald and 30 other newspapers around the country, announced it was cutting 10 percent of its work force. At The Herald, that means 190 jobs throughout the newspaper’s various departments.

Technorati Tags: mcclatchy, media bias, terrorism, terrorists, gitmo