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Wednesday, June 4, 2008 "When news breaks, we fix it" Serving West Virginia since 2005
The Media's Man
Hillary Clinton fell victim to the love affair between the national media and the black blank slate
The national media is dominated by idealistic leftovers from the '60s and idealistic wannabees from today. The liberals who are quickly promoted by the mainstream TV networks, newspapers and weekly news magazines are those who share a common love of Kennedy-esque Camelot and corporate-hating Quixote-ism. The Clintons never quite fit the bill for these journalists. Try as he might, in every way, Bill Clinton was no JFK; he was much too calculating and self-serving to fit the leftwing romanticism of post-Watergate journalism. And if he was difficult to fit into the messianic hope of reporters in New York, Washington and L.A., his wife was simply impossible, being even more vicious and calculating than her husband.Still, the media powers that be were quite prepared to hold their noses and give Hillary their full support against anyone the Republicans might nominate. As it turned out, though, they didn't have to, because along came Barack Obama.Obama is the great, black, blank slate. It is breathtaking how completely Obama can fulfill all the hopes and dreams of the libs and their messengers, to wit:* He seems idealistic and pure, untouched by corruption, unfazed by pessimism.* He is black, or at least black enough, to make the promise of Martin Luther King Jr. become a reality, to finally break the horrible stranglehold of evil white men. What more could a liberal want -- not just another JFK, with his young, attractive wife and small children -- just like Jackie, John-John and Carolyn -- but a black JFK at that. * He is a blank slate, onto which everyone can project anything they want to believe about him, and about what he believes. That blank slates are usually the most dangerous politicians is beside the point, just as it was, and is, beside the point with JFK, whose beliefs and presidency have been rewritten far beyond anything resembling the reality of the fact that, today, JFK -- with his beliefs in a strong military, tax cuts, and minimalist approach to civil rights -- would be considered a conservative Republican.When the liberal media discovered that it did not have to settle for Hillary, that it could, in its own mind, have the REAL THING, it dumped Hillary like a bad habit, never mind that Barack has the bad habit of smoking, for which he is given a pass the likes of which a Republican nominee would never enjoy.So lopsided did the media's treatment of Barack and Hillary become that Saturday Night Live had a difficult time parodying it all, since the parodies were barely more exaggerated than reality. The script is clear -- we either like Barack, or we are racist. West Virginia has been labeled racist, as have other states that failed to show Barack the love. Nevertheless, the dreamy liberals apparently have their man. To watch and listen to them Tuesday night extol his praises and talk, misty-eyed, about the history being made with his nomination, is to gain at least some small insight into what makes them tick. They want to be part of history. They want the first black president. And they want a hand in making it happen.It will be interesting to watch whether they are happy about it after they actually get to know something about him and what he believes, if they ever do.BARACK OBAMA
Hillary will still not go quietly
The happy side effect of Barack Obama's apparent nomination as the Democrat candidate for president is the complete political humiliation of Hillary Clinton. Hillary was, of course, entitled to run for president. She had suffered and put in her time as Bill's wife, putting up with all his embarrassing behavior by keeping firmly focused on the fact that one day it would be her turn.That her turn has been snatched from her by the very media she once counted on to prop her up in her darkest White House days must be a bitter pill. And pleading, subtly, to be chosen as Barack's vice president must seem like the ultimate humiliation. He is certainly not stupid enough to do it, but if he is, the defeat the Democrat ticket is likely to endure in November will only be greater with an Obama-Clinton ticket -- offering something for everyone to dislike.Hillary will not be scorned so easily, and as Barack stumbles through the summer, her shadow will never be far behind, reminding everyone of how many popular votes she received, how many states there are in which she competes better against John McCain than Obama does, how Democrat voters should have just stuck with their initial nostalgia for the Clinton years in the first place. It will be fun to watch.Frich a lead speaker at anti-Garrison rally
Former Delegate and current Delegate candidate Cindy Frich was the lead keynote speaker in Morgantown Monday at the rally urging Mike Garrison to resign as president of West Virginia University.In her remarks, Frich said, "There is nothing subtle about what has happened here in Morgantown. It is easy to recognize the abuse of power that occurred. Its simplicity should spark a light so bright that West Virginians can finally see that corruption may empower the corrupt, but it can also make an institution crumble from within, whether that institution is a great university or a great state."Answer obvious to question posed by alumni
As reported by MetroNews, five prominent members of West Virginia University's Academy of Distinguished Alumni have issued a letter saying WVU President Mike Garrison should resign or be fired by the university's Board of Governors over the Heather Bresch degree controversy. One line of the letter reads, "Most importantly, the Board of Governors must undertake a thorough self-assessment---beginning with its flawed and politicized search to select David Hardesty's successor---to determine how WVU was allowed to get to this sorry state under its stewardship."
How was WVU allowed to get to this sorry state? The answer is obvious, although many in the media so far decline to broach it -- Joe Manchin. Souls can be searched and hands can be wrung looking for other answers to this simple question, but the governor's heavy-handed control is the primary reason that Garrison is the WVU president, and that the board refuses to act.Weeks making stops in several Potomac counties
Republican gubernatorial candidate Russ Weeks will be in the Potomac Highlands area this week, including the following events:Wednesday- Hampshire County
12 p.m.- Romney Senior Citizens dinner
Tour of Childrens Home (details pending)
5:30 p.m.-Springfield dinner at Senior Citizens
Thursday-Mineral County
Noon-Rotary lunch
5:30 p.m. - Water board meeting
Friday-Pendleton County
10 a.m.- Tour of Habitat for Humanity
Tour of Main Street
Saturday-Mineral County
9am-9 p.m.-Strawberry Festival in Keyser
Additional events and details will be added later in the week. The Weeks campaign is also close to unveiling a new short form documentary about his life and career, "Russ Weeks, An American Life," which will debut on his website, www.russweeks2008.com.