Dan Cody – “Left on the Lake”

Not that there was ever a lot of doubt about the coordination between FOX News/News Corp and the Republican Party, but it’s now official. News Corp is firmly in the pocket of the Republican Party.

News Corp., which owns Fox News and the New York Post, gave $1 million to Haley Barbour’s Republican Governors Association this year, according to the RGA’s most recent filing.

The company’s media outlets play politics more openly than most, but the huge contribution to a party committee is a new step toward an open identification between Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. and the GOP. The company’s highest-ranking Democratic executive, Peter Chernin, recently departed. – Politico

Yes, it’s within their rights to do so, but how can any credible news organization claim any journalistic standards when it’s written out a fat one million dollar check to a particular political party. Imagine the OUTRAGE on responsibility free right wing talk radio if CBS or Disney wrote out a $1 million check to the Democratic party. That would only confirm the belief among the right and probably generate breathless coverage from outlets like FOX News about the blurring of the lines between the media and political parties.

Most people won’t agree with it, but it takes leadership to do the right thing in cases like this. And coming out in favor of religious freedom – without exception – is something that I’m happy to see the President of the United States do.

In the Virginia Act for Establishing Religion Freedom, Thomas Jefferson wrote that “all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion.”

That is not to say that religion is without controversy. Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities – particularly in New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. The pain and suffering experienced by those who lost loved ones is unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.

But let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are. The writ of our Founders must endure. – President Obama (AP link)

I think the ‘unshakable’ part there is especially true and relevant. Freedom of religion or speech for that matter doesn’t mean freedom of religion when it’s popular or polling well. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean you can only speak your mind when it’s not controversial. As two of the major cornerstones of American freedom – true freedom I might add – they need to be absolute and as unshakable as the President says.

This is prime example of the LIBERAL MEDIA going after innocent well intentioned House Republicans who are trying to protect us from the phantom “terror babies”!

I’ve never heard of Rep. Gohmert before, but there’s obviously a good reason for that. On the flip side, he’s probably now the hero of the ultra conservative movement for scaring people about a completely fabricated story about Muslim Terror Babies(!) and then going on CNN to “take on” Anderson Cooper. One things for sure, Cooper has a lot more patience in dealing with that guy than most people would.

Good for Mayor Barrett:

Breaking with his own supporters, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett asked the Milwaukee teachers union Tuesday to drop its lawsuit seeking taxpayer-funded erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra.

The Milwaukee mayor said he was “surprised and disappointed” to learn about the lawsuit at a time when Milwaukee Public Schools has laid off hundreds of teachers, including his own wife.

If MTEA put as much time and effort into getting 400+ recently laid off teachers back in the classroom as it has been negotiating and litigating silly things like viagra and Easter vacation reimbursements, it would be a benefit not only the kids in MPS, but would help out the perception of the teachers union among the residents of Milwaukee. Plus, it’s just the right thing to do, ya know?

And on a side note, I don’t know that the Mayor is really “breaking” with his own supporters unless the article is referring solely to the small number of people who would benefit from either issue.

And on another side note, interesting that I couldn’t find anything about this in the local paper and had to rely on the Chicago press to link to.