Rahm Emanuel.........

...is such a phony and the MSM is complicit in deceiving its viewers. This morning, CNN had a sound bite where Emanuel criticized Wall Street for the bonuses it is paying to its employees.

Of course, Emanuel and CNN, failed to disclose Emanuel was paid more than $15 Million by an investment bank in less than three years after he left the Clinton White House!

Shame on you John King of CNN. You surely knew this and if you did not, you should have known it.

Philly Newspapers's Domain Name....

.....how much is that domain name worth alone? The Phila Inquirer and Daily News are on the auction block. The Inquirer sells about 300,000-350,000 copies a day while the Daily News sells about 150,000.

But they also own and operate http://www.philly.com/

If you started a business from scratch and also owned this domain name in an MSA with 7-8 million people and two newspapers that drive annual revenue of $120-$150 Million or so, what is that worth? In my business (M&A world), you have to peg or assume a profit rate. Let's use 15% for the sake of argument. That is profit of maybe $20 Million.

Ergo this is a potentially sweet business. I could make this combination work and I don't know squat about the newspaper business except it tends to be run by folks who have problems with capitalism and profit [for examples see Chis Scatullo and Zack Stalberg]. They generally have a million excuses for why they don't have any [profit].

Newspaper Ad Revenue Down 29%.....

.....and I bet you won't read that in your local newspaper. I estimate newspapers get 40-50% of their total revenue from ad revenue. The rest comes from reader subscription fees. But a 29% drop in half of a business' revenue is enormous. Most businesses would not be able to survive without significant changes to their business model. Lastly, how much more red ink can the media spill? Before they stop putting a happy face on this economy in an effort to save the Obama economic team which has failed so far bigtime!

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Newspapers' financial woes worsened in the second quarter as advertising sales shrank by 29 percent, leaving publishers with $2.8 billion less revenue than they had at the same time last year. It's the deepest downturn yet during a three-year free fall in advertising revenue -- newspapers' main source of income. The magnitude of the industry's advertising losses have intensified in each of the last 12 quarters..........Still, the statistics served as a stark reminder of the crisis facing newspapers as they try to cope with a brutal recession and advertising trends that have shifted more marketing dollars to the Internet............the latest turbulence left U.S. newspapers with ad sales of $6.8 billion in this year's second quarter compared to $9.6 billion last year......through the first half of the year, newspaper ad revenue plunged 29 percent to $13.4 billion....."When the economy eventually begins its recovery, advertisers will return to spending, and newspapers will find themselves extremely well positioned to harness the strength of their print and digital platforms to build a brighter future," Strum predicted. .......Industry analyst Ken Doctor of Outsell Inc. isn't as confident. In a report released earlier this week, Doctor predicted newspapers won't recover all the advertising revenue that has evaporated during the past three years because be believes the recession accounted for only half of the decline. The other half of the equation represents ad spending that has permanently migrated to less expensive options on the Internet, Doctor said......Even newspapers' Internet advertising suffered in the second quarter. The industry's online ad revenue totaled $653 million, a 16 percent drop from last year.

The Media Worships Diversity......

.....so here is a picture of the Board of Directors of The Associated Press taken right out of its annual report [will they make me take it down heh].

What I want to know is why are there no Irishmen in this group? Haha.

ZING!

Below is a zinger of a quote in Salon Magazine from Camille Paglia about Katie Couric:

"And let me take this opportunity to say that of all the innumerable print and broadcast journalists who have interviewed me in the U.S. and abroad since I arrived on the scene nearly 20 years ago, Katie Couric was definitively the stupidest. As a guest on NBC's "Today" show during my 1992 book tour, I was astounded by Couric's small, humorless, agenda-ridden mind, still registered in that pinched, tinny monotone that makes me rush across the room to change stations whenever her banal mini-editorials blare out at 5 p.m. on the CBS radio network. And of course I would never spoil my dinner by tuning into Couric's TV evening news show. That sallow, wizened, drum-tight, cosmetic mummification look is not an appetite enhancer outside of Manhattan or L.A. There's many a moose in Alaska with greater charm and pizazz."

People Wear Blinders

Great comment on Althouse's blog. The commenter was responding to an Obama supporter who wished the Republicans would give Obama a chance. Here is the comment:

"Once again: Where have you been the past eight years? Do you read blogs? Have you ever heard this guy Keith Olbermann? Jack Cafferty? Half the columnists at the NY Times? You reap what you sow. "

Inquirer Endorses Obama ....

.....was its "endorsement scorekeeper" in the bag for Obama? Below I analyze the Inquirer's endorsement of Obama. IMO, the issues selected by the Inquirer actually favor an endorsement of McCain but I guess the paper's "endorsement scorekeeper" was in the bag for Obama. I am shocked NOT.

My Analysis of Obama Endorsement by Inquirer :

· IRAQ WAR
o McCain was RIGHT on surge but opposes a timetable for withdrawal.
o Obama was WRONG on surge but supports a timetable for withdrawal.
o So they pick the candidate who so far has been WRONG and the Inquirer awards a Point to Obama

· INCOME TAX POLICY
o Uses the very liberal Tax Policy Center as a source for its claim that Obama’s tax plan gives more money back to middle class.
o And the Inquirer also claims The Tax Policy Center is non-partisan. That is a lie; it gets 100% of its financial support from liberal groups.
o FYI Obama will increase tax rates on high income earners as much as 50-60% is some areas when you include state and local taxes.
o In my opinion, Obama’s tax plan is socialistic, is an onerous tax rate and will cause us to go into a deep recession.
o Small businesses will pull back plans to invest their hard-earned money into growing their business. Jobs in the private sector will not increase under Obama’s plan.
o In spite of this, the Inquirer awards a Point to Obama.

· ENERGY POLICY
o McCain favors building 40 nuclear power plants which will take time. [Fact - France gets 40-50% of its electricity from nuke power]. McCain also supports immediate offshore drilling.
o The inquirer says that will only have a “minimal impact” [which I believe is a lie].
o Obama and Dems do not sincerely support offshore drilling so if Obama is elected, they will block offshore drilling. And I predict gas prices will hit $5.00 per gallon if Obama is elected.
o And the Inquirer awards a Point to Obama.

· HEALTH INSURANCE
o McCain wants to give everyone a voucher to help them buy their own health insurance.
o Obama wants to pick and choose the “needy” with free health insurance plus Obama will force many businesses to contribute.
o The Inquirer wrongly claims McCain’s plan represents a new tax on workers. In truth, McCain’s plan takes away the business deduction for health insurance expenses.
o McCain’s plan is also more tax neutral than Obama’s plan.
o IMO McCain’s plan is a bold step as it “severs the age-old tie between health insurance and one’s job”. Obama’s plan is more of the same and makes the government pay more.
o In spite of this, the Inquirer awards a Point to Obama.

· EDUCATION
o McCain favors more school vouchers and charter schools. To me, that represents more freedom so parents can get their kids out of failing public schools now!
o Obama (naturally) favors plowing more and more govt money into schools including expanding early childhood education! In the last debate, Obama said "we are running out of vouchers" which may be the dumbest he has ever said!
o Of course, the Inquirer, which has never seen a govt spending plan it did not support, gives a Point to Obama.

· OBAMA IS NOT WHITE
o The world will see the “the melting pot legend of America has finally become a reality”.
o Inquirer gives a Point to Obama.

· OBAMA HAS ELOQUENT ORATORY
o Obama has already taken big steps to bridge America’s racial divide.
o Obama will eliminate “the tar pit of partisan sniping”.
o In actuality, Obama has no record of working with Republicans or working across the aisle. His agenda is identical to the far left, liberal Democratic party agenda.
o On the other hand, McCain has a documented record of working across the aisle with Democrats.

· THESE TIMES REQUIRE STEADY, FOCUSED LEADERSHIP
o Fact - Obama has never even led a Boy Scout troop.
o McCain has served as a Commander in the US Navy where he managed and led hundreds of sailors and aviators.
o In spite of the facts, the Inquirer again awards a Point to Obama.

Flyers Support Racism

Lat night at the Flyers game, a fan held a sign that read "Flyers Support Racism". He was angry because Gov. Palin, a hockey Mom, was invited to drop the first puck of the season. As you may know, ice hockey is struggling to maintain and grow its fan base. The team's owners apparently were trying to honor hockey Moms all over the area. No big deal right?

The Philadelphia Inquirer sent a reporter, Mari Schaefer, to the game and she included this guy's sign in her story. Did she ask him why he felt Pain was a racist? Did she defend Palin to her readers since there is no evidence Palin is a racist? Did she mock him for having an outrageously ridiculous sign? No , No and No.

If a fan had a sign that read "Obama Signed a Baby Killer Law" , do you think this reporter, Mari Schaefer, would have reported that in her story? No way right!

Shepherd Smith

..........says something dopey again. (FYI - I do not make this stuff up).

Ok so I am trying to get the weather for tonight cause I am headed to the Phillies game.

Fox News is on and I hesitate to hear about the stock market. Shepherd Smith, Fox News Talking Head, is telling how the DOW fell by 500 points today. Then Smith tries to say it could have been much worse because he says " a good percentage of the people who would usually be trading today are not.They are atoning".

Keep in mind the above quote is not absolutely 100% precise but it fairly reflects what Smith said. Smith was trying to say I think .......thank God it is a Jewish holiday or even more people would have been selling their stocks.

How dumb are America's talking heads? Isn't it time to clean house of all of them and replace them with ordinary people from Main Street and perhaps college classrooms.

Philadelphia Inquirer Can't Make Its Loan Payments

My local paper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, runs short in paying its loan payments.

I wonder how long the old media can last? The Newark Star-Ledger (New Jersey's largest paper) is threatening to close if the employees don't concede to some givebacks and take early retirements.

I bet they could sell more papers if they did some real thorough investigative work on Senator Obama's scumbag associates. But that will never happen, the papers' idiotors would rather go down with their ship than report a story that is critical to Dems. I am still shocked the owners allow the slanted behavior to continue.

[Below is the Story reported in the 10/04/2008 edition]:

Papers' owner defers payment By Joseph N. DiStefano Inquirer Staff Writer
Philadelphia Media Holdings L.L.C., which owns The Inquirer, Daily News, and Philly.com, said yesterday that it deferred an interest payment on its bank loans this week, as negotiations continued on a refinancing plan that includes $20 million in new cash from its owners.

"Unlike some companies in our industry, PMH has strong, positive cash flows, which have remained steady year over year," the company said in a statement. "We remain hopeful that we can quickly finish the terms of the new plan with our lenders."

PMH proposed the plan in August. A deal would allow PMH to complete the planned sale of its 400 N. Broad St. headquarters and reduce the senior debt load at least 15 percent, PMH said. The Inquirer reported in the spring that the building would be sold to and leased back from Patriot Equities L.P., of Wayne, but that deal has not yet closed.

PMH borrowed $295 million, plus a $50 million revolving credit, from Citizens Bank and other banks when it bought the newspapers in 2006. At the time, the papers were earning more than $50 million a year. The loan agreement requires the company to earn higher profit each year, or it will be in technical default.

PMH issued the statement after the missed payment was reported by Standard & Poor's in an investors' newsletter. [end of story]

Dave McLimans

Here is a quote from a New York Times story. The reporter caught up with this guy at a rally for Joe Biden in Media, PA.

“People got to wake up, because these guys in Washington are raping this country,” said Dave McLimans, a steelworker from Coatesville, Pa., who attended the rally in Media. “Joe Biden talks in a way that can wake people up.”

Sounds innocent enough right? Sounds like a regular working class guy maybe even an independent. Well when I do the googles on the name Dave McLimans, I learn he may be a steelworker but he is also a union official and is president of the Chester County Labor Council and has given money to Dems in the past.

Should the NY Times reporter have known that and included it in his story? Does the reporter even know Google exists?

Here is the googles proof; scroll down, McLiman's name is the third name in the Chester county section.

http://www.slaterforcongress.com/endorse01.htm

"Meet The Press" Being Replaced by "MEET THE TAXPAYERS"

The MSM has their collective knickers twisted. Sarah Palin has not graced them with her presence and "it's been nine days since she was announced as McCain's VP choice". That is a quote from girly-boy Chris Matthews this morning.

I recommend McCain give Palin free access to a Meet The Press type confrerence but instead of MSM types, they should randomly find informed taxpayers to ask the questions. Call it "MEET THE TAXPAYERS". And no one from the Beltway is allowed. This is a great maverick move for McCain because polls show voters don't believe nor respect the MSM anyway.

The new paradigm goes around and replaces the biased dinosaur media with real no-bullshit type regular citizens to ask questions to the candidates.

Joe Biden

Joe Biden had five draft deferments just like Dick Cheney!

I wonder why the MSM has not been reporting this - have not yet seen this AP news story in my local paper, the Phila. Inquirer. Oh that's right, Biden is a Democrat.

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/ats-ap-cvn-biden-vietnamaug31,0,2934547.story

Hattip to Ace of Spades.

Shepherd Smith

Shepherd Smith of Foxs News is such a deutchbag. I heard him say at least three times today "this is my 28th hurricane". What a strapper he is- as if he were a brave pioneer or explorer. It is just the news you idiot and FYI hurricanes occur about 10-20 times every year.

The scene of the anchor man standing in the storm holding a microphone is now old, stale and hokey. Time to put that news production in mothballs. And fire deutchbags like Shepherd Smith!

Fat Eddie Rendell Is Full Of Soup

The Philadelphia media specifically and the MSM generally give Governor Ed Rendell 150% non-stop 24-7's favorable spin on everything he does and just about every word he utters.

So it is funny to hear Fat Eddie whining about MSNBC, one of the unofficial branches of the DEM Party. He claims MSNBC was way more favorable to Obama than to his girl, Hillary! Too too funny. In effect, Fat Eddie is proving what Republicans have known for years! The MSM is biased and liberal- I am shocked.

BTW- Pennsylvania has a new info access law and I am going to request copies of every press release that Fat Eddie's office sent to the Inquirer's idiotors so they could publish as a "news story".

[click on the post title above to read the story about Fat Eddie whining].

Bonusgate - Harrisburg Corruption Kept Nader Off 2004 Prez Ballot?

I see they are calling this political scandal "Bonusgate". It is alleged state legislators and their staff used state money to pay "bonuses" to staffers who in fact did work on political campains. Last week, the Pennsylvania attorney general indicted 12 people and today the Inquirer reports the illegal activities may have included an organized effort to impede Ralph Nader from getting on the state ballot in the 2004 presidential election. This is a pretty explosive charge if true. Below is the Inquirer story.


BONUSGATE TIED TO CAMPAIGN AGAINST NADER By Amy Worden
Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania - The tentacles of the Bonusgate scandal have spread to past presidential politics.

Buried deep in the grand jury report, released last week, that led to the indictment of 12 people are details of what is described as a "massive" effort by House Democrats to oust the independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader from the ballot in 2004.
Also, the report says, in 2006 the same machine fired up again to boot from the ballot Carl Romanelli, the Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in a race won by Democrat Bob Casey.
In light of the grand jury revelations of political work conducted with taxpayers' money, the candidates and reform advocates want a federal investigation into the ballot challenges, which they now think were the result of the criminal conspiracy that has come to be known as Bonusgate.
Harrisburg activist Gene Stilp filed a petition with the U.S. attorney here yesterday, asking him to look into whether any of those charged in the state investigation were also involved in federal elections while they were supposed to be working on state business as legislators and legislative aides.
"Everybody who runs for office should have a fair election that isn't subverted by alleged criminal activity," said Stilp.
House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D., Greene), who led the effort to oppose Nader, said yesterday through a spokesman that "those matters are for the U.S. attorney and courts to decide."
Martin Carlson, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, acknowledged that he had received Stilp's correspondence, but said it was the policy of his office "to decline to make any comment whatsoever regarding whether any matters are the subject of pending investigation."
The grand jury report, released by Attorney General Tom Corbett last week, alleges that former House Minority Whip Michael Veon of Beaver County ran a statewide political operation out of his Capitol and district offices involving hundreds of legislative workers on the House Democrats' payroll.
One of the House Democrats' most visible targets was Nader, who in 2004 was seeking to challenge Democrat John Kerry as well as President Bush. As many as 50 Pennsylvania House staff members worked on a challenge to Nader's ballot petition, and more than half received state-funded bonuses, in part for their "Nader efforts," according to the report.
A decision by Commonwealth Court, upheld by the state Supreme Court, found that most of the signatures for Nader were invalid.
Nader is locked in a battle with lawyers representing a group of Democratic voters over an order that he pay $81,000 in legal fees. Two of his personal bank accounts were frozen last year as a result.
Now, Nader says the charges against the House Democrats are cause to throw out that judgment against him.
"It looks like the judgment was the result of a criminal conspiracy," said Nader's attorney, Oliver Hall. "We will investigate our options to vacate the judgment."
Romanelli, who was thrown off the 2006 ballot for having improper signatures, said he would seek a new hearing on his case in Commonwealth Court. "This is absolutely hideous," said Romanelli. "I knew I was a victim of conspiracy on behalf of the Democratic Party."
Abe Amoros, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, said the grand jury report did not "exclude the fact that Ralph Nader and Carl Romanelli falsified their nominating petitions."
"I fail to see how this is the responsibility of the Democratic Party," he said. "They are rehashing their own inadequacies and their own incompetence to get on the ballot."
Both candidates maintain that the majority of their signatures were valid.

Contact staff writer Amy Worden at 717-783-2584 or aworden@phillynews

You Call This Change Senator Obama?

Below is a letter to the idiotor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published on Friday, June 27, 2008. The letter-writer is criticizing Obama's selection of many Clintonistas for the Obama Security Panel.Here is a money quote "Going back to the 1990's isn't change in my book". Start of letter is below:

THIS ISN'T CHANGE

Even though I am a registered Republican, I worked very diligently on Barack Obama's primary campaign here in Ohio and then crossed the border to volunteer during his three-week Pennsylvania primary effort. I considered myself to be someone who was committed to his election as president this fall. But after reading who is serving on his "new national security advisory group," I feel like I have been duped ("Obama Convenes Security Panel," June 19).

With so many former, recycled Clinton advisers, I can't help but wonder if I supported the wrong candidate. Perhaps we should have stayed with the Clintons. Are there no new faces in this arena? Is this the best Mr. Obama can do? I understand that many voters credit the Clintons with a peaceful end to the last century, but I blame their lack of an appropriate response to any of the numerous terrorist attacks under their watch for the tragedy that befell us on 9/11. The problem I have is that although we will have a clear choice between two very different options this fall, both approaches have failed us as a nation. Where are the new ideas? Where is the change?

Going back to the 1990s isn't change in my book. I have to reconsider my support of the Obama candidacy. I honestly believe we would be better off with John McCain's promise of a forceful response, over the nonresponse of the last administration. I am extremely disappointed.

TIM WAGNER Youngstown, Ohio

Ann Curry Saves Lives?

Question: NBC’s Ann Curry seems to be everywhere these days—the Today show, Dateline, guest-anchoring the Nightly News, and traveling to places like Antarctica. Does she have a life outside of work?—Lisa Mackin, Avon, Ohio

Answer: “There are times, to be perfectly honest, when I wish I had more of a life,” says Curry, 51, the wife of businessman Brian Ross and mother of teens McKenzie, 15, and Walker, 13. “But my family knows that my sense of mission requires me to say ‘yes’ whenever I can do something to save lives in places like Bosnia, Darfur, and Congo.” Curry has become such a superstar at NBC that you can expect to see her as part of the network’s election coverage this summer and fall.

Blogger's comment:

Damn - I never knew that folks like Curry and I presume Matt Lauer are out there saving lives! God Bless Our High Paid Talking Heads!

News Biz Is Bad Biz

The new owner (Philadelphia Media Holdings) of the Philadelphia Inquirer reportedly missed an interest payment on some subordinated debt.

I have never witnessed a business allow its employees to deliberately sabotage the business and turn away customers. But I believe that is what the liberals who run these papers have done.

The editorial staff and many reporters just don't get it so they continue to write far left-slanting news stories. Do they ever even wonder why the paper's circulation continues to drop?

Sure, I know there are other reasons for the newspapers to lose customers. But the Philadelphia Daily News and The New York Times lost me as a customer some time ago. I was a semi-regular consumer of each paper but got sick and tired of the liberal slant. Letting the employees ruin a newspaper is like a restaurant employing a waiter or bartender who did not bathe or use deodorant. It is nuts!

I predict the Associated Press will be next- its wire stories surely affect the slant of these local papers who pay big fees to the AP for its crappy stories. Evidence: have you ever read "news" stories from the AP's economic writer, Jeannine Aversa? If not, I suggest you do and you will see why I feel the way I do.

One in Four Americans Has A Tattoo

This is according to a Fox News survey. But the Inquirer claimed in a Saturday idiotorial that about one in ten voting-age Americans is unable to get a government ID. And it claimed almost all of these sad sacks are Democrats. Jeez if one in four Americans is dumb enough to get a tattoo, how much dumber must the others be if they can't get an ID.

Inquirer link: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080517_Editorial__Voter_ID.html