Obama / Wright NY Times Editorial Is a Home Run

Today's NY Times Editorial on Senator Barack Obama's angry response to Rev. Jeremiah Wright's appearance at the National Press Club was a home run. I too was not happy with Rev. Wright's presentation, complete with the "dog" pose after he answered one question. While the media questions were also stupid and race-batting, Rev. Wright lowered himself to their level.

But what hurt most was seeing Wright throw Senator Obama under the bus, when Obama took great pains to protect Pastor Wright even in Obama's landmark speech on race, a response to initial criticism about the former leader of Trinity United Methodist Church.

The LA Times is wrong.

This isn't about fitness, it's about character.

The article has the facts about McCain's time as a P.O.W. and his subsequent recovery, and the author suggests that if McCain is "fully disabled" as his pension indicates that he might somehow be unfit to serve as President. That's provocative, and it may help ratings for Vartabedian as he struggles to earn notoriety as a staff writer, but it's a red herring.

Nobody will deny that a retired military person is entitled to a pension. Nobody will argue that physical disabilities would disqualify a person from seeking this high office. Everybody can agree that years as a P.O.W. will require rehabilitative care and support.

So where's the beef?

The issue is character. In describing McCain's career after being released, Vartabedian offers these two facts:

After he was released in 1973, he returned home on crutches and began a painful physical rehabilitation. He later regained flight status and commanded a Navy squadron before retiring from the service in 1981.

Fair enough. The issue isn't about the tax-free status of that $58,000 pension, either. It's the implication about the character of a guy who claims a disability-status pension after he "...regained flight status and commanded a Navy squadron..." What kind of double standard is that?

He's a patriot, he earned a military pension...

...but either he's disabled, or he's not; I'm having trouble reconciling a naval flight surgeon finding an officer who needed rehabilitation fit to lead a squadron yet that same officer retiring with a disability pension based on events before he was re-certified to fly. Robert Schriebman, a senior Pentagon tax advisor and tax attorney who recently retired as a judge advocate for a unit of the California National Guard asks, If McCain can hike across the Grand Canyon, then why should he be getting disability payments from the government...?

Seriously, I don't care if they're tax exempt pension payments, I trust his rehabilitation left him physically fit enough for the rigors of elected office, but can anybody explain that to me how this double-standard fits with the moral character we want in office in Washington?

Senator Barack Obama : The Best Choice For President

Laurie and Awais are two Superdelegates who are the heads of the national college democrats, and have asked for comments on who they should select as President of the United States. My choice is Senator Barack Obama and I state why in this video. More here soon.

Jake Long: Miami Dolphins 1st Round Pick Meets The Media

I'm still uploading videos from the NFL Draft. For more, visit my YouTube channel Zennie62 and our NFL Draft blog.

Here we see Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long get selected "number one" by the Miami Dolphins, then meet the media in the Interview Room downstairs. This is more of a kind of behind the scenes video for those who've never seen the process with the media. I also included his Mom holding up his Dolphins "Number One" jersey.

Sex-Starved Women Out There? Really? Interesting

I mean what can I say other than that? I think the simple fact that the Global Economy has grown such that in America both women and men have to work their tails off just to make ends meet makes most women horny. Yes, even hornier than men.

What's wrong with that?

Well, not much, but then the article I link to refers to sex-starved wives! Yikes. Does that mean they're more likely to cheat?

Hmm....

Memo to America: MONEY TALKS (Cinco de B.O.!)

Memo to the Media:

Follow the money!

Nearly 1,500,000 Obama supporters have given to his campaign for the nomination of the Democratic party. The established media spins the question of "whether Obama is electable" because of his "loss" in PA though he closed the gap (which had been huge.) Let's note: Clinton's campaign is in serious debt while Obama's supporters continue to send in small donations - like the "$5 on 5/5, Cinco de Mayo, Cinco de B.O." concept.

Obama's Grassroots Fundraisers are hard at work, and money is coming from individual donors in small amounts - people who never donated before are stepping into the game. The unprecedented numbers tell the tale: more people are actively supporting this candidate than any other in history.

Memo to Obama: they get it.

learn more about Obama * follow the money * digg story

Caleb Campbell Forgoes Iraq For NFL's Detroit Lions - Video

In the 7th Round of the 2008 NFL Draft a huge cheer erupted from the small-compared-to-Day-One crowd and it was for a little-known cadet who also played football for Army. Caleb Campbell, who was drafted by the Detroit Lions in that last round. As that happened I talked to Dr. Bill Chackhes who gave me the details on Campbell's story. Caleb basically deferred going to Iraq as a officer after he is to graduate with the current Army class of 2008. The Army is allowing him to play in the NFL.

Everyone was enthusiastic to meet the man Bill called "The All American Boy" and this video captures that moment:

CNN's John King Uses Journalism To Express Racial Opinion

CNN's John King is a normally steady hand at reporting, but this night he took a wrong turn into a discussion for which he could not be objective, but uses the cover of reporting objectivity to make an emotional and disagreeable point.

He did this in the AC/360 Blog post he wrote, and I've linked to here.

This is the response I wrote there:

I think the main problem is that the "process" of hearing what Rev. Wright says has been so distorted that some people -- not all -- tune out what he's saying after the original sound-bites have been aired.

I think both John King and Merle Black are very guilty of this "myopic hearing" if you will. John, for actively seeking out someone who's Black to do John's talking for him, and Mr. Black, who's the willing participant in that process. This covers up the real need to hear not just what Rev. Wright has said, but who also said it.

Let's take 9-11: anyone who looks at our history without blinders knows that Somalia was the birthplace of hostilities that led to the World Trade Center attack. It was also a "white" (whatever that really means) Ambassador who said that America's chickens came home to roost.

Rev. Wright said that the ambassador made that statement -- but that fact has been ignored by people like John King, who could be accused of fanning the flame of racism for the sake of ratings and using someone African American to make a statement King himself personally believes. That's not CNN's roll. Not at all.

And John King should be more of a professional journalist, and not a pr rabble rouser. He -- and CNN -- can do better.

2008 NFL Draft - Bill Chackhes On Best Teams; Worst Teams

Dr. Bill Chackhes, SBS Personality, and Managing Partner of Football Writers Online.com took time to talk with me about the 2008 NFL Draft. Bill is a 34 year NFL Draft veteran; 22 years as a credentialed media member.

More about Bill here:

http://www.sportsbusinesssims.com/bill-chachkes.htm

Darren McFadden At NFL Draft - Three Interviews With Oakland Raiders RB

I am in New York City for the NFL Draft. As part of our partnership with KRON TV Channel 4, San Francisco, we created these video interviews of Oakland Raiders First Round Pick Darren McFadden. You can see more of our coverage at http://kron2008nfldraft.com



Agent Ian Greengross On The Thursday Before the Draft talks about character and the chance of a holdout should the Raiders draft McFadden.



Agent Greengross after the Raiders pick McFadden and McFadden Press Conference



Darren McFadden Interview after press conference

Laure Manaudou Failed to Qualify for 200 Metres Freestyle for Beijing

Laure Manaudou Failed to Qualify for 200 Metres Freestyle for Beijing

CLICK TO SEE VIDEO HERE

Laure Manaudou's naked photo scandal placed her squarely in the focus of the World last year. Now, with the Olympics in Beijing upon us and the related Torch protests, what she does is of even greater importance in the Zeitgeist.

Thus, her failure to Qualify for the 200 Metres Freestyle for the Beijing Olympics.

Did this happen due to her scandal with Luca Martin, the Italian swimmer? Or was it the media attention? Whatever the case, Laure Manaudou finds herself with an uphill climb and a new problem to deal with: getting into the Olympics.

Peter Paul Trial - Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton Called As Witnesses; Hillary After Election

I just got a call from a friend who's been close to the Peter F. Paul v. Bill and Hillary Clinton Fraud case, and who reported that in the trial, which was to take place today, Judge Aurelio Munoz called for former President Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea Clinton to appear as witnesses, but that Senator Hillary Clinton did not have to appear until after the close of the presidential election.

The judge also called for former presidential candidate and now Nobel Prize Winner Al Gore to appear as a witness. This marks the first bad news for the fomer elected official who's become the father of the battle against Global Warming.

This development, which has not yet appeared in the major news headlines, is a major one in the now nine-year old case and scandal, which has went through various episodes and twists on its way toward today's developments.

It means that the history of Clinton scandals has finally impacted the campaign, because there's no logical way that this bit of important news can not be covered by major news outlets eventually.

But it also causes younger voters who may have broke for Clinton to be forced to look back at the Clinton past, because it impacts events of today.