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Day By Day by Chris Muir
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John Fund: Schwarzenegger NO Choice But to Come Out Guns Blazing
Good to see that John Fund of the Wall Street Journal agrees with Flap.
And the battle is worth having. Even if he lost one or more of the initiatives on the ballot this November it wouldn’t be as damaging as losing the belief his core voters have that he is a strong leader who is fighting for what he says he believes in.
Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League
Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page
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Helen Thomas: I’ll never talk to a reporter again!
HELEN THOMAS ANGRY AFTER ‘KILL SELF’ OVER CHENEY COMMENTS PUBLISHED
What is good for the Goose, Helen, is good for the Gander.
White House press doyenne Helen Thomas is plenty peeved at her longtime friend Albert Eisele, editor of THE HILL newspaper in Washington, D.C.
In a column this week headlined “Reporter: Cheney’s Not Presidential Material,” Eisele quoted Thomas as saying “The day Dick Cheney is going to run for president, I’ll kill myself. All we need is one more liar.”
Thomas also said: “I think he’d like to run, but it would be a sad day for the country if he does,” according to Eisele’s column.
But Thomas said yesterday at the White House that her comments to Eisele were for his ears only. “I’ll never talk to a reporter again!” Thomas was overheard saying.
“We were just talking — I was ranting — and he wrote about it. That isn’t right. We all say stuff we don’t want printed,” Thomas said.
Helen, if you don’t wanted it printed……simply don’t say it!
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Ron Brownstein: Disclosure or Conflict of Interest? – LA Times Ethics Guidelines – Do they MEAN Anything?
Ron Brownstein in his Washington Outlook column today has Clinton’s Pact With Centrist Council Offers Risk and Reward.
But, Hugh Hewitt criticizes the Los Angeles Times and Brownstein for not disclosing that Brownstein’s new wife works for Senator John McCain, also a Presidential contender like Hillary Clinton.
The Los Angeles Times’ Ronald Brownstein writes on the 2008 presidential race today. He does not disclose that his wife is a senior aid to John McCain. Which candidate does McCain favor getting the Democratic nod? My guess is that it has to be Hillary as that will significantly boost the Beltway chatter about McCain’s cross-party appeal.
Indeed, it seems odd that this article does not mention the DLC’s role in blunting a potential McCain or Rudy challenge from “the center.” You have to wonder if Brownstein is holding back on references to McCain because of the problem his wife’s employment poses.
Flap doesn’t care how well Brownstein writes. He has a conflict of interest and should step down from his current beat – or the Los Angeles Times should reassign him.
Now, Los Angeles Times Editor, John Carroll is out. But, recently adopted ethical guidelines remain:
Activities of family members may create conflicts of interest. The Times recognizes that it has no authority to restrict the activities of spouses, companions or close relativesof Times staff members who do not themselves work for the newspaper. However, the paper may restrict a staff member’s assignment based on the activities of a family member or loved one. Staff members are responsible for informing a supervisor
whenever a companion’s or close relative’s activities, investments or affiliations couldcreate a conflict.The Times recently pledged transparency in conflict-of-interest matters. I guess that means if you declare a conflict once in print, every reader for all time is presumed to know and not care about it. BTW: To my knowledge, the paper has still not detailed Mrs. Brownstein’s job or salary, or how funds paid her by Senator McCain are not part of Ron Brownstein’s direct financial interest that would preclude him from covering McCain or related stories, like today’s on Hillary: “[S]taff members may not cover individuals or institutions with which they have a financial relationship.”
My guess is that before long Mrs. Brownstein will resign from McCain’s staff because objective voices within the paper will see the iceburg the paper has already hit. Brownstein’s a fine writer, but his pieces should be in the opinion section, and his conflict fully noted every time asuch a piece runs.
Flap agrees and if Mrs. Brownstein does not depart soon then Ron Brownstein’s pieces should henceforth run with a disclosure of his family conflict and he eventually should be reassigned to another beat.
Dean Baquet are you listening or will you scrap the new ethics guidelines?
Technorati Tags: Hugh Hewitt, Ron Brownstein, Los Angeles Times, John McCain, Hillary Clinton
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Ralph Neas WARNS the LEFT
Ralph Neas of People for the American Way PAC spoke to several hundred Democrat activists Saturday in Sacramento warning them about SCOTUS nominee Judge John Roberts.
The issue of Privacy (i.e. Roe vs. Wade, etc.) Civil Rights, Affirmative Action were all on the list that Neas talked about as key issues for the Roberts hearings.
Neas said this decision by the U.S. Senate will effect us for several decades.
And we certainly hope so!
In other words, if Roberts gets on the U.S. Supreme Court (new term starts in October) on October 30th, Americans will turn their clocks back by one hour but Roberts will turn back America’s recent individual rights back 30 or 40 years.
And what rights might those be?
Abortion on demand, without restriction? Gay Marriage?
Howard Dean, DNC Chairman wants more judges in the vain of Scalia, Rehnquist and Thomas.
Ralph, you, PFAW and the DNC have to make up your mind.Technorati Tags: Ralph Neas, John Roberts, People for American Way, abortion, gay marriage
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Tough Times for Schwarzenegger? NOT
David Broder, the Leftie Columnist of the Washington Post yesterday had Tough Times For the Terminator.
On July 11 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger scored his biggest victory of the year, signing a budget in which the Democratic-controlled legislature gave him almost everything he wanted in his effort to cure this debt-plagued state government.
But hard on the heels of that triumph, one of Schwarzenegger’s aides told me last week, “Ka-chunk, ka-chunk. It was like getting run over by the front and rear wheels of a truck.”
That explains why one of those directly involved in managing his initiative campaign said, “We’re preparing for war, but we’re praying for peace,” a last-minute compromise with the legislature that would make it possible to cancel the special election. But the odds are against any such deal; a senior Schwarzenegger strategist gives it only one chance in five. The special election ballot also includes two issues of particular importance to conservatives. One would require notification of parents before a minor could receive an abortion. The other would force public-sector unions to get annual approval from each of their members to use their dues for political purposes. The GOP hard core wants to vote this year on those issues.
So far, Schwarzenegger has not embraced the union dues measure, and his continued neutrality could also be part of the price Democrats exact in a deal. The unions defeated a similar but broader measure in 1998, and if they think they can do so again in the special election, they’d prefer to have it out of the way before next year’s campaigns begin. They can’t, however, be sure of victory.
Even in his current weakened condition, Schwarzenegger is in a statistical tie against two unexceptional Democratic challengers for the 2006 election. Union leaders concede that he could — like predecessors Pete Wilson and Gray Davis — win another term despite weak personal ratings.
What he cannot do, most observers agree, is regain the status he once enjoyed as a popular hero whose appeal transcends normal partisan and ideological lines. His rhetorical attacks on teachers, nurses and other political foes have polarized voters. The gamble he is taking with a special election is a big one — and the Terminator is looking wobbly as he approaches it.
Broder simply doesn’t get California politics.
He is simply a parrot for the UNION label!
The Governator is in a very strong position and has the campaign cash to prove it!
Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, David Broder
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Air America FLAP: PAY Gloria Wise the MONEY
Michelle Malkin has an excellent run down on the Air America FLAP.
Air America Radio and its left-wing acolytes hoped the loan scandal would go away, but there continues to be growing interest in AAR’s ever-evolving financial woes.
Air America’s pom-pom squad at the New York Times remains silent, but the New York Sun‘s David Lombino advances the funny money story considerably this morning, following last week’s blogswarm kicked off by Brian Maloney, followed here, amplified by the Washington Times editorial board, and picked up by Fox News’ Brit Hume ; CNN’s Inside Politics political producer Abbi Tatton and blog reporter Jacki Schechner; and the New York Post.
According to Lombino’s special report in the Sun:
The top executive at a Bronx youth organization said yesterday that the former director of Air America Radio received more than $800,000 in loans for himself and the radio network from the nonprofit organization while serving as its development director.
Some of the transfers, according to the president of the Bronx-based Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club organization’s executive committee, Jeannette Graves, occurred when the development director, Evan Montvel Cohen, who for a time served simultaneously as the liberal radio network’s director, appealed to the organization for two loans worth $35,000. Another member of the executive committee said Mr. Cohen told the executive director of the organization that he needed the money to pay for chemotherapy for himself and other medical expenses for his ill father.
Ms. Graves said that Mr. Cohen also received another $213,000 loan for Air America in a check that was approved without her authorization and stamped with an imprint of her signature, and that the club wired more than $400,000 to him without her knowledge…
…Ms. Graves said Air America has agreed in writing to pay back the full amount of more than $800,000 in installments over the next two years. It is unclear whether the funds allegedly obtained from Gloria Wise were ultimately received or spent by Air America...
Flap had a number of questions for the Air Deadbeat crowd (HT William Teach for the moniker) about repaying the money but Michelle has these:
1) Why don’t Air America radio execs make it clear, once and for all, exactly how much they have received from Gloria Wise and how much, if any, Piquant has repaid to date?
2) Has the liberal radio network received any other loans from any other non-profit organizations?
3) If so, how much was received and how much, if any, has Piquant repaid?
Hugh Hewitt pursues the nonprofit angle and asks where meddling New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is when you need him. Wizbang dissects AAR’s statements. Politburo Diktat notes pathetic attempts by some lefty bloggers to debunk the burgeoning scandal. Brian Maloney highlighted the lib backlash against him and has more here.
BoreAmerica, which has been tracking Air America’s woes since March 2004, has created a news ticker for all the latest updates.
Michelle and the blogosphere ask:
And what about the New York and/or Federal Grand Jury?
FBI Investigation?
Congressional Hearings when Congress reconvenes?
And again again……..
Technorati Tags: Air America, Al Franken, New York City, Evan Cohen, theft
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John Bolton: USA United Nations Ambassador…..FINALLY!
Congratulations, Mr. Ambassador.
All Flap can say is it is about DAMN time!