Everyone makes verbal gaffes. Here’s candidate Obama talking about campaigning in 57 states so far, “with one to go”. Funny, yes. Worth some good natured ribbing, sure thing. A sign of anything else? No. A verbal gaffe, the kind everyone makes from time to time.
THIS however is something else entirely. This is an inexcusable disgrace to two great men, their families and the office of President. No Commander-in-Chief should EVER make such a mistake when talking about the highest honor this country has to offer. Utterly inexcusable. The MSM is in FULL “let’s not cover this” mode. For any other president, this kind of mistake would have unleashed holy hell on the Commander-in-Chief, as well it should have. Not this president though. Outside of Twitter and a few blogs, like Blackfive, I have not heard a single word about this on TV or seen it in print. Not saying it has been completely ignored, but it certainly has not gotten the attention it deserves.
Someone You Should Know….Mr. President
On Father’s Day 2007, Vietnam veteran and 28-year member of the US Army, Bruce McQuain joined us for another edition of Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce told us about Jared C. Monti and what he did sacrificing his life to save a fellow soldiers. As always, Bruce did an amazing job telling Jared’s story. Immediately following the SYSK, we welcomed to the show Mr. Paul Monti, Jared’s father. He spent an emotional half hour talking with us about his son. He told us some great stories about the kind of man Jared was. Paul spoke movingly about Jared, the determined kid, how he made the varsity basketball team on his third try, and ended the season as one of the teams best players. Cutting down a Christmas tree for a local family that didn’t have one. The stories were great. Jared was always sticking up for the little guy. He was the kind of man that every father would be busting with pride to call their son.
Jared C. Monti’s Medal of Honor Ceremony
Paul Monti returned to Pundit Review Radio following the emotional Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House
Gaffe’s are one thing. Disgracing the memories of the men who have EARNED the highest honor the country has to offer is another. What a terrible, inexcusable mistake by our President.
The Obama administration is proving to be the most costly on the job training program in the history of mankind.
UPDATE: President Obama has called Paul Monti to apologize. No surprise, Paul was gracious, dignified and appreciative of the gesture,
“He apologized to me more than once,’’ said Paul Monti, whose son, Sergeant 1st Class Jared Monti, was killed in battle in Afghanistan five years ago, in a phone interview yesterday. “He was very sincere. I thought it was a wonderful thing for him to do.’’ Monti said he accepted the president’s apology. Monti said a White House secretary phoned him Friday afternoon to ask if he was available to speak with the president. Obama then got on the line. After apologizing, the president told Monti that he realized right after the speech that he had made a mistake, Monti said. “He could have just let it go,’’ Monti said. “He could have sent a statement to the press; he could have had an aide call me. But he was man enough to call me himself and I think that the highest honor you can get from someone is a personal apology.’’
Good for President Obama, he made a serious mistake here and he knew it. He did the right thing to correct it, and I respect him for it. The mistake was inexcusable, but in light of his contrition and apology, it is forgivable.
Definition of SCHADENFREUDE: enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others
Virtually every aspect of our culture is overwrought with Shadenfreude this month, from sports and entertainment to our beloved world of politics, both state and national. Let’s review, shall we,
1.) Need I say more?
2.) Anthony Weiner’s A Dick
The only good news for Anthony Weiner these days is that he is now in the Media Training Hall of Fame for his two press conferences this month. The first was an unmitigated disaster, first it was “hacked” by Andrew Brietbart, the morning after we had him on the radio show, then Weiner wouldn’t stop talking, answering questions or raising more questions with every answer. I guess that is a trait for anyone who is considered a protege of Chuck Schumer. Weiner wouldn’t stop digging, couldn’t stop thinking he was in control of the situation, and he decided on a second, “retirement” press conference. As a nice touch, he held it at the very senior center where he launched his political career many years ago. The best part was when the senior citizens heckled him, it went downhill from there.
3.) The media making fools of themselves over Sarah Palin’s emails
Liberal bloggers were positively besides themselves with excitement at the thought of Alaska releasing all of then-Governor Palin’s emails. The MSM was right there too, ready with a new innovation for 21-century journalism, outsourcing their jobs to readers! Yes, two of America’s Big Three newspapers, the Washington Post and New York Times, put the shout out to their readers that hey, help us look up stuff on Palin, just like we asked you to do about little known candidate Obama! When the mob turned up nothing, they pretended like it never happen and hoped nobody noticed. We noticed. Hell, the media looked so pathetic, even Jon Stewart was appalled,
“Every negative inference that Sarah Palin has ever made about the ‘lamestream media’ was on full display”
Just this Sunday, Bill Keller, former editor of the Times, penned a column about how much the MSM loathes Sarah Palin. As if we didn’t know already. I guess he’s a bitter clinger.
4.) Beacon Hill: The Way It Is
ELVIS once made a documentary called The Way It Is. Many, many people see the Sal DiMasi story and think the same about the Beacon Hill culture of corruption. Count me among them, although DiMasi does deserve special recognition for his willingness to go above and beyond in the graft game. He was the Speakah and it was time to make it rain, and rain it did.
I particularly liked Jon Keller’s commentary after the DiMasi conviction,
In statements today, both DeLeo and Senate President Terry Murray also raised doubt about whether or not they truly get it.
Murray – overseer of a legislative body that tolerated the openly-sketchy behavior of Dianne Wilkerson far longer than it should have – insisted DiMasi’s crimes “should not cast a shadow†on the rest of Beacon Hill.
DeLeo called it a “slur†to suggest this was business as usual. But DiMasi’s legal team presented compelling evidence that it is just that.
Unfortunately for Sal, the jury today said business as usual is criminal and intolerable.
It appears we’ll be waiting a long time if we expect the political culture to come around to that same conclusion.
5.) Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto LeBrongo on Mount Chokemore
I don’t know who coined that name, LeBrongo, but my hat is off to you. After talking trash between games…
“It’s not hard (the save) if you’re playing in the paint,†Luongo sniped. “It’s an easy save for me, but if you’re wandering out and aggressive like he does, that’s going to happen. He might make some saves that I won’t, but in a case like that we want to take advantage of a bounce like that and make sure we’re in a good position to bury those.â€
…LeBrongo went out and played his best folded like an accordion. The good news for those classy Canucks fans, LeBrongo is only under contract for 11 more years.
6.) Reuters: Charlie Sheen loses early round in “Men” lawsuit
Sheen, who claims in the suit that he was fired after criticizing producers, is seeking more $100 million in damages. Goodman’s ruling puts off the opportunity for Sheen to present his accusations in open court, which could save the parties involved from potential embarrassment. The judge noted in his 21-page decision that Sheen’s contract called for disputes to be referred to arbitration. “We’re very gratified by the court’s ruling enforcing the parties’ arbitration agreement,” Warner Bros. said in a statement.
7.) Then there’s this
American League East W L Pct GB
Boston Red Sox 43 28 .606
New York Yankees 41 29 .586 1.5
Chris R. Barron (@chrisrbarron on Twitter), co-founder and chair of GOProud joined me on Pundit Review Radio last evening. GOProud “represents gay conservatives and their allies. GOProud is committed to a traditional conservative agenda that emphasizes limited government, individual liberty, free markets and a confident foreign policy. GOProud promotes our traditional conservative agenda by influencing politics and policy at the federal level.”
Many people scratch their heads over the idea of conservative gays. It is counter-intuitive based on everything we know about politics, celebrity and pop culture. When you take a step back and consider policy, as described by Chris R. Barron, it makes perfect sense why gays can, and perhaps should, be conservative in their politics. He makes a very strong case.
That said, his case is not strong enough for some social conservatives, as we found out last night during a rather heated phone call from a longtime listener and caller to the show. Fireworks ensued. It was a fascinating to compare and contrast his angry, dismissive approach with that of Herman Cain . Like our caller last night, Cain, also takes a bible-based approach to his feelings on gays, believing it to be a sin and a choice. Cain however, respects gays although he disagrees with the lifestyle. That’s all I’m looking for, openness and hearing the other side out. Respecting the differences and agreeing to disagree. Chris remains a huge Cain supporter because of the way in Cain handled himself, despite the content of his answer. That is being a bigger man. I have huge respect for Chris and what he is trying to do.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here and you can find us on iTunes at Pundit Review Radio.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
I had the pleasure of welcoming author and documentary film maker Rick Beyer to the WRKO studios. Rick has written a series of books that political and history buffs will love, the Greatest Stories Never Told series includes books about Music, War, Science and Presidential history.
History isn’t always made by great armies colliding or by great civilizations rising or falling. Sometimes it’s made when a chauffeur takes a wrong turn, a scientist forgets to clean up his lab, or a drunken soldier gets a bit rowdy. That’s the kind of history you’ll find in The Greatest Stories Never Told.
This is history candy — the good stuff. Here are 100 tales to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy: more than two thousand years of history filled with courage, cowardice, hope, triumph, sex, intrigue, folly, humor, and ambition. It’s a historical delight and a visual feast with hundreds of photographs, drawings, and maps that bring each story to life. A new discovery waits on every page: stories that changed the course of history and stories that affected what you had for breakfast this morning.
In addition to these great books, Rick is currently working on a documentary on an amazing WWII unit that practiced in the art of deception. The story sounds amazing and we’ll have Rick back in when it is complete. To help make that happen, Rick is raising money so he can complete the project, you can learn more and support this fascinating project at Ghost Army.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here and you can find us on iTunes at Pundit Review Radio.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
This week Bruce told us about Army SSG William C. Moore, who was posthumously awarded the Silver Star,
As soon as SSG Moore established his position he realized that several Paratroopers from his platoon were still in jeopardy, occupying the ground floor of the building that had been struck. Again, disregarding his own safety a second time, he left a covered position with continuous accurate enemy small arms and RPG fire striking all around him, still refusing medical treatment, and knowingly exposed himself to the enemy as he rushed from his position to reenter the building in order to rally his Paratroopers and move them to a safe location. As soon as SSG Moore entered the room, the building was struck by a second vehicle borne improvised explosive device causing the whole building to collapse upon the Paratroopers that remained inside. As the rest of the Troop rushed forward to free the trapped Paratroopers, SSG Moore, though mortally wounded, was able to alert the rescuers to his and another Paratroopers location by calling out and fighting to push the rubble off himself and his buried Paratroopers.
SSG Moore’s heroic actions were directly responsible for preventing further casualties to his platoon, safeguarding his wounded Paratroopers and rallying his section until he was mortally wounded. His courage under fire is in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflects distinct credit upon himself, Task Force Headhunter, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the United States Army.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The SYSK archive can be found here and The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here and you can find us on iTunes at Pundit Review Radio.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
1/20/09, that glorious day that Bush haters plastered all over their cars for years. I decided to go back see what President Obama had to say about the economy and how he would address it.
Obama Inaugural Address
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift.
Bold action requires leadership and President Obama has shown none, especially early on during the stimulus debate. How did the uniter-in-chief, Mr. New Way of Doing Business in Washington, set the tone? Four days into his administration, he made it clear how he felt about governing,
President Obama listened to Republican gripes about his stimulus package during a meeting with congressional leaders Friday morning – but he also left no doubt about who’s in charge of these negotiations. “I won,” Obama noted matter-of-factly, according to sources familiar with the conversation.
That’s right. He won. And he got his way. His stimulus plan. The “bold” action we got was the $800B Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Perhaps you’ve seen the signs? Anyway, there was nothing bold about the Obama stimulus plan. From the left you had Paul Krugman arguing that $800 billion was far too small. Many others argued that Obama showed zero leadership, essentially handing the job to Nancy, Harry and the Gang. What could go wrong? Well, if your President Obama running for re-election, the fact that you said, if you get your stimulus plan, unemployment would peak at 8%. That’s a problem. You got your plan, and unemployment went to 10% and currently sits above 9%.
Obama Inaugural Address
And we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.
According to an Associated Press analysis reviewed by independent economists at five universities, the $20 billion spent nationwide on infrastructure so far “has had no effect on local unemployment rates.â€
Even worse is Obama’s green energy fallacy. Candidate Obama infamously promised to raise energy prices to painfully high levels in the name of Climate Change, or whatever they call it this week.
Now at a time of severe economic weakness, he is making his insane plan a reality, from Heritage’s Foundry blog,
President Obama’s infamous words—saying electricity rates will “necessarily skyrocket†under his cap-and-trade program that would impose a costly energy tax on American consumers—are set to come true. Just ask the market.
Although cap and trade is not law, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) backdoor train wreck of energy regulations is forcing utilities to file for significant rate hikes in years to come because of the upgrades they will have to make or the complete shutdown of older plants…
…A new analysis from the National Economic Research Associates (NERA) looked at just two of those regulations, the Clean Air Transport Rule and the Utility Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT). The study finds “Average U.S. retail electricity prices in 2016 would increase by about 12%, with regional increases as much as about 24%.â€
American households will be hit hard, as will American businesses. Producers everywhere will try to cover their higher production costs by raising product prices. As a result, consumer demand will fall, and income and employment will drop. There’s no other way to put it: These are unnecessary job-killing, economy-destroying regulations.
Not content to regulate our way to economic depression, President Obama is still at it, putting the wrong people in government at the highest levels. Look around you. Think about what is going on economically in this country, and think for a minute of a President STILL appointing these Dreamweavers to central plan our economic recovery.
President Obama’s nominee for Commerce secretary, John Bryson, is good news for the environmental community and his nomination could foreshadow a renewed White House push for cap and trade.
The Obama economic policies and people are a fire blanket on our economic engine, the only problem, the engine isn’t on fire, its barely alive. The combination of his people and policies have led to economic paralysis.
Obama Inaugural Address
And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
About that vital trust, Mr. President. Lying to the American people a bit less would be a good place to start. You lied continuously throughout the health care debate, and refused to stop lying about it, even when repeatedly pointed out by Fack Check groups. Now that is arrogance personified, not to mention a complete lack of respect for the people who’s trust you are “allegedly” trying to gain.
Unfortunately, the outright lies have continued on virtually all subjects, from the Republicans budget plan, according to FactCheck.org, to the auto bailout, where according to the Washington Post, President Obama delivered a speech so fundamentally dishonest that,
What we found is one of the most misleading collections of assertions we have seen in a short presidential speech. Virtually every claim by the president regarding the auto industry needs an asterisk, just like the fine print in that too-good-to-be-true car loan.
According to Judicial Watch, on transparency, Obama is worse than Bush. If that isn’t bad enough, his “jobs saved or created” canard was universally mocked, and rightly so. The farce went far beyond that, there was fundamental dishonesty, full-blown three card monte with the public’s money. How bad? The MSM noticed!
More than ten percent of the jobs the Obama administration has claimed were “created or saved” by the $787 billion stimulus package are doubtful or imaginary, according to reports compiled from eleven major newspapers and the Associated Press.
Based only on our analysis of stimulus media coverage in the last two weeks, The Examiner has created this interactive map to document exaggerated stimulus claims. The map, which will be updated as new revelations appear, currently reflects an exaggeration by the Obama administration of about 75,000 jobs, out of the 640,000 jobs supposedly “created or saved.”
..The Obama administration has claimed that the $787 billion economic stimulus package “saved or created” some 650,000 jobs. But almost as soon as the White House trotted out this figure, news organizations found huge exaggerations in the reported data. Many of the jobs reportedly created do not exist or cannot be accounted for.
UPDATE: Today’s report from ABC News tells us that prior to releasing its jobs report, the administration cut out 60,000 additional jobs from unreliable reports, none of which appear to overlap with the ones we’ve highlighted here. Had those jobs been included in the original count, the number of jobs “created or saved” by the stimulus would have exceeded 700,000, and the number of imaginary or doubtful jobs would have approached 20 percent.
Based on his words, and the standards he set for himself, I can reach no other conclusion than President Obama is a terrible failure, in both words and deeds. He can’t lead because he’s never led. He can’t fix our economy because he’s never been a part of it, never created a single job. He can’t be honest with the American people because, well, he’s a politician.
He hasn’t brought a new way of business to Washington. He hasn’t brought people together. He hasn’t listened to new or opposing ideas, he’s continuously lied about his opponents and questioned their motives. The man is over his head, it should be obvious to all now.
President Obama is a failure by the standards he set for himself, not by those of the Tea Party, Fox News or right wing bloggers. It’s so obvious it’s almost as painful as reading economic data.
![Known-and-unknown[1]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2352/5802316313_d7dc8e3dbc.jpg)
No matter what you think of him, Donald Rumsfeld has an incredible arc to his life, from fighter pilot to congressman, White House staffer in the Ford administration, CEO of a major pharmaceutical company and of course, as most people think of him, as a two time secretary of defense. Given that amazing background, I started by asking Sec. Rumsfeld about leadership and the qualities that voters should look for when evaluating candidates. I also asked him about what I still consider an Unknown, how Gen. Ricardo Sanchez could be appointed the man in charge of Iraq without the full review of the secretary of defense. As he laid out in detail in the book, he had his finger on so many aspects of Pentagon operations. The idea that he was out of the loop on such a critical decision seems impossible, but it happened. See what you think of his response. We also took some very good calls, especially one about China, which led to a fascinating answer from Rumsfeld. Enjoy!
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here and you can find us on iTunes at Pundit Review Radio.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.