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From Barbra Streisand -
Where Is the Fourth Estate When You Need Them?
Posted: 02/ 3/2012 5:17 pm
It seems these days that the Republican debates have become a forum in
which candidates can assert just about anything. With the right amount
of aggression, they are able to avoid answering tough questions by
bullying the moderator into submission (i.e. not asking strong follow
up questions in order to correct the record). We know there is a
certain level of theatrics in politics. The electorate assumes that
candidates will embellish, evade, and even sidestep at times when
asked tough questions. But the line should be drawn when candidates
rewrite history in order to protect or enhance their own self-image,
which isn't based on the truth.
Americans are busy, working hard to support and provide for their
families. They don't have time to parcel out fact from fiction. They
depend on the Fourth Estate to guide them and to hold individuals
running for office, especially the highest office in our country,
accountable. Journalists like Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow
knew it was their duty to know the facts and disseminate them to the
public. That responsibility in today's media world seems to be
diminishing.
As I've watched the Republican presidential primary unfold, I've seen
the candidates successfully deflecting answers to tough questions or
misleading the public, without forceful and timely push back from the
mainstream media. And we all know, the longer a lie or a half truth is
allowed to simmer in the public consciousness without being refuted,
the harder it is to correct misconceptions down the line.
Newt Gingrich has done this the best. He has claimed in debates and
interviews that while serving as Speaker of the House, his leadership
helped create 11 million new jobs, which ultimately led to the
economic boom of the 1990s. He always leaves out one very important
fact, however. The economic boom of the 90s would not have been
possible without President Clinton. Clinton pushed for the passage of
the 1993 Deficit Reduction Act, which proposed increasing taxes on the
wealthiest income earners, cutting programs that weren't working,
taxing corporations at 35%, and extending the earned income tax
credit. Gingrich vehemently opposed the bill and he and every one of
his Republican colleagues voted against it. The deadlock was broken by
then Vice President Al Gore and the bill was signed into law by
President Clinton. Three years later, the economy was surging, and by
the end of Clinton's second term, when Gingrich was forced out of
office by his own party, the Administration recorded a net budget
surplus. It was the first time the US budget had been balanced since
1968. Given these historical facts, how does any pundit or media
outlet allow Gingrich to get away with taking credit for something he
worked so hard to destroy?
Also, recently in a debate moderated by Fox News analyst, Juan
Williams, Gingrich was questioned about controversial remarks he had
made about poverty and African Americans. Gingrich had previously said
black Americans should demand jobs, not food stamps. Juan Williams
attempted to coax Gingrich into acknowledging that he was playing
racial politics. To which Gingrich responded untruthfully that, "more
people have been put on food stamps by Barack Obama than any president
in American history." And there ended that portion of the debate with
Gingrich receiving deafening applause from the audience, looking
strong and principled. What Juan Williams failed to point out in that
moment is that Barack Obama has not put anyone on food stamps. The
grossly irresponsible and greedy practices of those on Wall Street,
which led to the subsequent crash of the housing market, created the
most severe recession our country has experienced since the Great
Depression (which Obama inherited from George W. Bush when he entered
office). These events, along with the continuous deregulation of our
financial sector, conspired to make a record number of people eligible
for government food assistance. Juan Williams completely missed this
important opportunity to reveal the real truth behind Gingrich's
racist assertions.
These kinds of tactics are used frequently by candidates running for
office. Journalists need to stand strong and do their job, which is to
challenge candidates immediately when they are purposefully misleading
the public. They should not be polite or fearful of offending someone
when the truth is in question. As we continue through the primary and
head toward the general election, this is crucial. Without the
mainstream media's commitment to holding candidates accountable, we
have little chance of having a well-informed electorate on Election
Day. And let's look at the facts. The truth is, President Obama's
leadership on the stimulus, bringing the auto industry back from the
brink of collapse, adding nearly 3.7 million private sector jobs in 23
consecutive months of job growth proves that our country is moving in
the right direction. Because of the President's policies, our economy
is on the road to recovery and it's time we start celebrating the
truth.
P.S. Hooray to everyone who supported Planned Parenthood and spoke out
against Susan G. Komen for the Cure, who wrongfully politicized the
issue of women's health. This week we saw how the power of grass roots
activism can lead to positive change. Bravo!
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
--
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