Saturday, September 14, 2024

The media war against Israel; Partisan journalists may have subverted American democracy, but over Israel they have blood on their hands

  Melanie Phillips (substack.com) 

. . ."Instead, they have been inciting often murderous hatred of Israel around the world. The media may have subverted and undermined American democracy. But when it comes to Israel, it has blood on its hands." . . .

BBC Broadcasting House, London



. . ."And the picture of Israel that’s been painted over the last few decades — and even more intensely since the October 7 Hamas-led pogrom against southern Israel communities — is a vicious and wildly distorted caricature.
"The impression given by the British media for the past 11 months of this war has been that Israel is wilfully killing huge numbers of Gaza’s women and children, recklessly bombing hospitals and schools full of displaced people, and preventing humanitarian aid from getting to civilians.
"Those claims are the reverse of the truth. Yet a very senior military figure seems to have believed them because this media narrative is omnipresent. Even in newspapers whose editorial line is broadly sympathetic to Israel, the reporting is massively distorted by the promulgation of Hamas propaganda as news reports.
"The most egregious serial offender is the BBC, whose global reach and reputation for integrity and trustworthiness make it the most influential media outlet in the world. For decades, it has sanitised Palestinian Arab terrorism and painted Israel falsely as the aggressor in the region. And during the current war in Gaza, its coverage has been overwhelmingly malevolent.
"A major study published this week by Trevor Asserson, a British lawyer based in Tel Aviv, laid bare the staggering scale of this betrayal of BBC and journalistic standards.
"A dedicated team he set up used AI to crunch four months of war coverage. It identified 1,553 breaches of the BBC’s own guidelines on impartiality and accuracy. It also revealed moderate or strong pro-Palestinian/anti-Israeli sentiment in more than 90 per cent of broadcasts on the network’s flagship shows." . . .

Gabbard Has a Message for Garland After He Vowed Not to Allow the DOJ to Be Used As a 'Political Weapon'

  Rebecca Downs (townhall.com) 

. . ."Gabbard offered, "it's hard not to laugh at his statement where he tried to sound so serious, and so convicted, and so grave about never ever politicizing or weaponizing these government agencies when in fact that is what they are doing currently and what they have been doing for years," including during the Trump administration." 


"
On Thursday, as we covered at the time, Attorney General Merrick Garland made some rather tone deaf remarks claiming that the Department of Justice's (DOJ) "norms" are "a promise that we will not allow this department to be used as a political weapon." Garland was promptly called out for such remarks, by the Trump-Vance campaign, as well as former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, once a Democrat, now an Independent who is on the Trump transition team. Gabbard also addressed how her criticism is personal." . . .

. . ."Gabbard brought up how a weaponized and politicized DOJ has been used against former and potentially future President Donald Trump as well, noting that "there's too many to cite," but that they "have been made very clear to the American people and those paying attention with any objectivity, that this is lawfare, this is the kind of thing that happens in dictatorships and authoritarian governments, where those who are in power, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, are weaponizing and politicizing the [DOJ] and law enforcement agencies, both at the federal level and the state level, to take out their political opponent, the greatest threat to their power in a way that has never been done... before in our country's history. That's where he should start!' " . . .

Federal judge dismisses Trump classified documents case over concerns with prosecutor’s appointment

 Judge Aileen Cannon dismisses Trump classified documents case | AP News  

"Cannon agreed, writing Monday that Garland had exceeded his bounds by appointing a prosecutor without Senate approval and confirmation and had undermined the authority of Congress." . . .

 

We must have intelligence and wisdom in our Supreme Court.

"A federal judge in Florida dismissed the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump on Monday, siding with defense lawyers who said the special counsel who filed the charges was illegally appointed by the Justice Department.

"Hours later, special counsel Jack Smith’s office said it would appeal the order, which could result in it eventually being overturned by a higher court. But for now at least, the dismissal by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon brings a stunning and abrupt halt to a criminal case that at the time it was filed was widely regarded as the most perilous of all the legal threats the Republican former president confronted.

"Though the case had long been stalled, and the prospect of a trial before the November election already nonexistent, the judge’s order is a significant legal and political victory for Trump as he recovers from a weekend assassination attempt and prepares to accept the Republican nomination in Milwaukee this week." . . .

“Judge Cannon today restored the rule of law and made the right call for America. Jack Smith is not above the law and must be held accountable under the Constitution,” Kise said.

Kamala’s First Solo Interview Was a Total Train Wreck

Kamala’s First Solo Interview Was a Total Train Wreck – PJ Media  "Taking a page out of Barack Obama's playbook, Kamala didn't do an interview with a major news network, but with an ABC News affiliate in Philadelphia. Barack Obama employed this strategy in order to have more leverage over the terms of the interview, and it seems the Obama people who have joined her campaign have advised her to do the same.

"So, obviously, you know that she was given a bunch of softball questions from reporter Brian Taft, and yet the short interview was a complete trainwreck.

" 'Talk about bringing down prices and making life more affordable for people," Taff began. "What are one or two specific things you have in mind for that?"

" 'Well, I'll start with this," she said. "I grew up a middle-class kid. My mother raised my sister and me. She worked very hard. She was able to finally save up enough money to buy our first house when I was a teenager. I grew up in a community of hardworking people. You know, construction workers and nurses and teachers. I try to explain to some people who might not have had the same experience, but a lot of people will relate to this."

"We heard a version of this at the debate. Remember that? She sure has her lines memorized. Did she answer the question? Nope. But, wait, she wasn't done.

. . ."One of Kamala's biggest challenges is trying to separate herself from Joe Biden, and yet, when she was asked to explain how she is different from Joe Biden, she couldn't.

" 'I wonder if there are one or two spots, policy areas or approaches, where you would say 'I'm a different person."

" 'Well, I'm obviously not Joe Biden," she said, with a nervous smile. "And, umm, you know, I offer a new generation of leadership, For example, thinking about developing and creating an opportunity economy where it's about investing in areas that really need a lot of work and maybe focusing on, again, the aspirations and the dreams but also just recognizing that at this moment in time some of this stuff we could take for granted years ago, we can't take for granted anymore," she said." . . .

 Moderator Reveals Proudly That She Ran the Debate in a Way That Would Protect Kamala – PJ Media  "The Los Angeles Times has published a lavish puff piece hailing Linsey Davis, one of the moderators of ABC’s three-against-one Donald Trump-Kamala Harris debate Tuesday evening. And why not? With her yeoman service to Harris’ cause, Davis has become a rising star in the far-left propaganda machine known as the establishment media. Amid growing controversy over a whistleblower’s allegation that Harris received the questions beforehand, however, the Times revealed a good deal more than it intended." . . . Sadly, the rest of this article is behind a paywall. 

Broc Smith

Hey, Peasant, Kamala Harris Doesn’t Want You to Speak Without Her Permission – Robert Spencer    . . . "Musk, as far as Harris is concerned, must be brought back into line. She wants the social media giants to submit to “oversight” and “regulation,” which means they will say what the left wants them to say, and only that. Other voices will be deplatformed, marginalized, and silenced, just as they were everywhere before Musk and still are on most platforms. 

"No one should be surprised. The Biden-Harris regime is the first administration to see its principal opponent indicted, and on flimsy and politically motivated charges. The Biden-Harris regime also tried and failed to establish a Disinformation Governance Board that would have effectively stamped out opposition to regime policies by labeling such opposition “disinformation” and silencing it accordingly. " . . .

WATCH: Kamala Harris Completely Bombs Her First Solo Interview – RedState

   Sure enough, the questioning wasn't exactly tough, and Harris was instead asked a variety of softballs. The problem? She couldn't answer them:

. . ."Look, it's obvious she prepared a lot for the debate, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. Her answers were generic tripe, but at least she delivered them well. This interview is a return to who Harris normally is, though. She's a lazy, entitled politician, and no one should listen to these exchanges and believe she has what it takes to be the President of the United States." 

The 10 Kamala Harris Lies Moderators Let Slide at the ABC News Debate

 Ben Johnson (washingtonstand.com)

"Even Snopes.com ran an article titled, “No, Trump Did Not Call Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists ‘Very Fine People.’” 


Presidential debates have often been compared to professional wrestling matches, but the ABC News debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris more closely resembled a handicap match, with Trump taking on three opponents at once: Harris and both moderators. As “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir and ABC News Live “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis regularly fact-checked Trump in real time, they allowed Harris to get by with numerous evasions and false statements on such issues as late-term abortions, post-birth executions, government pregnancy monitors, the economy, and haggard canards about “very fine people” at Charlottesville.

1. Late-term abortion is a myth?

"Kamala Harris attempted to deny President Trump’s charge that the Democratic Party supports late-term abortion by denying such abortions take place. “Nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion,” Harris dodged.

"In reality, 21 states allow abortion until birth: Six states have no legal limit protecting unborn children, and the rest allow abortion after the point of viability thanks to a vague and expansive “health of the mother” exception.

"Late-term abortions are well-documented. In 2022, pro-life advocates found the remains of five babies whom abortionist Cesare Santangelo aborted late in their term or possibly after birth at the Washington Surgi-Clinic in Washington, D.C. The Biden-Harris Justice Department advised the District of Columbia to destroy the evidence." . . .

All this below makes one fear for our nation: 

Kamala Harris praised ‘defund the police’ movement in June 2020 radio interview | CNN Politics    "Vice President Kamala Harris voiced support for “defund the police” in a radio interview in June 2020 amidst nationwide protests for police reform, just months before denouncing the movement after she had joined the Biden presidential campaign.  

“For too long, the status quo thinking has been, you get more safety by putting more cops on the street,” Harris added. “Well, that’s wrong, because by the way, if you wanna look at upper middle class suburban neighborhoods, they don’t have that patrol car.”. . . 


PBS's Failed Attempt to Cook Up a New Trump Scandal Shows Again How the Media is Worse Than Useless – PJ Media   . . ."What is noteworthy is that PBS was clearly caught out because it thought it had a sensational story, one so useful to the leftist cause that it just had to be true. Any critical eye it might once have had is long gone, and now PBS and the rest judge stories only on the basis of how bad they make Trump and other patriots look. 

"In the fake story at hand, not only did the most evil man on earth, Donald Trump, violate the Logan Act by calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and trying to conduct American foreign policy as a private citizen, but during the call, Trump pressured Netanyahu not to conclude a ceasefire until after the election because peace in Gaza would only help Kamala Harris. Why, the self-serving monster! He would rather have innocent people in Gaza die than see his reelection chances suffer!

"It was even worse than Trump’s phone call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy that got him impeached the first time, and PBS ran hard with it, no doubt once again seeing visions of Trump’s political career finally going up in flames. There was just one problem: it was fake news." . . 

Kamala Harris, who majored in 'economics,' had no idea what inflation was or what to do about it in solo interview - Monica Showalter   . . ."Harris is not just woefully unprepared to fix the economy, she's stupider than average on the economy, even as she bears a Howard University degree with 'economics' written on it. Apparently, they just waved her through, now casting doubt on the value of the knowledge of anyone else who has that degree, too.

"Fact is, she knows nothing about economics, and nothing about improving the economy for anyone other than big spending and price controls, which is bound to make taxes go up and the economy get worse.

"The interview represents the first time Harris has gone solo with reporters without Tim Walz at her side, which was a departure from what many of her aides wanted -- to keep her shielded from the public. Now we know why she's been kept shielded from the public -- she's too dumb to let out without a script -- or adult supervision."

I'm sure Ms. Showalter means all that in a nice way. TD

Friday, September 13, 2024

Not a Donna Brazile moment! Claims about Kamala Harris audio earrings at debate are false

  VERIFY: verifythis.com

She didn't have hi-tech devices but she did have ABC.

"There are clear differences between the Tiffany pearl earrings Harris wore during the debate and the audio earrings people are falsely claiming she used."


"Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump sparred over issues including immigration, the economy and abortion during their first presidential debate in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

"VERIFY analyzed claims from both Trump and Harris on debate night

"But after the debate, some people on social media weren’t focused on the candidates’ claims or their policies. They claimed Harris was wearing “audio” or “earphone” earrings, suggesting people were secretly coaching the vice president in a violation of debate rules

"Conservative commentator Laura Loomer also amplified this claim, writing on X, “Interesting choice of earrings tonight, @KamalaHarris…”

"Loomer and other people on social media included photos of Nova H1 audio earrings in their posts, which are described as the “first and only wireless earphones embedded in a pair of pearl earrings on a gold- or silver-plated clip.”

"Several VERIFY readers asked us whether the claims about Harris wearing these audio earrings are true." . . . 

ABC moderators eviscerated for not asking Trump the single most obvious question at debate: 'This tells you everything'


 
Daily Mail Online   
. . ."In an essay for The Federalist, editorial director Kylee Griswold slams the moderators for inquiring about January 6 while failing to ask VP Kamala Harris whether the Democrats' rhetoric could have lead to the attempt on Trump's life.

"Griswold wrote: 'Imagine refusing to ask the current vice president whether she regrets any of her hateful anti-Trump rhetoric and the Biden administration’s weaponization of the federal government against Trump that may have inspired an armed nutbag to fire at his head.' " . . .


. . ."Many social media users have also highlighted the moderators' failure to discuss the topic.

"One X user said: 'One of my favorite parts of the debate was Harris straight up not acknowledging the assassination attempt on Trump even though he brought it up clearly hoping that he could get into an exchange with her about it.'

"Another added: 'One of the funniest moments is the debate is when Trump wanted to talk about the assassination attempt and the moderators just muted him.'

"Muir and Davis have been accused of being biased and only fact-checking Trump - while letting Harris' claims go unchecked." . . .  

A minor point, if I may digress: ABC/ Disney movie 'Jessie' Features Mean Girl Named ... Breitbart!  A quick look at the show’s IMDB.com pages shows that many of the program’s recurring characters are known just by their first names. Only the girl whose last name is - wait for it - "Breitbart"; perhaps soon a mean girl to be named "Trump" since we know Disney/ ABC does that. TD

Don Lemon slammed for mocking video of Melania Trump in deleted TikTok video - YouTube   Libs of TikTok on X: "Don Lemon mocks Melania Trump"

Lemon Blasted for Mocking Melania Trump in Assassination Attempt Video: ‘Do Better’ – IJR    . . ."Corey Comperatore, who was in the audience, was killed in the shooting.
"Lemon took to social media with a video of himself superimposed over Melania Trump and reacting to her words by making confused and frustrated faces, Fox News reported.
"“The attempt to end my husband’s life was a horrible, distressing experience,” she said. “Now, the silence around it feels heavy. I can’t help but wonder, why didn’t law enforcement officials arrest the shooter before the speech?” 
"Lemon was seen “shaking his head, rolling his eyes, scratching his head and showing general bewilderment,” per the outlet.
"Those who saw Lemon’s video were not amused."
"Libs of TikTok posted, “Don Lemon mocks Melania Trump describing her distress over the attempted ass*ss*nation of her husband. Sick.' ” 

Don Lemon ripped for mocking Melania Trump after she spoke out on hubby’s ‘horrible’ assassination attempt: ‘Sick’ (NY Post)  . . ."In the video, the scandal-scarred former anchor could be seen rolling his eyes and shaking his head repeatedly as he filmed himself watching the former first lady recall the “distressing” and “horrible” ordeal.

At one point, Lemon threw his hands up in the air when Trump’s wife questioned law enforcement’s role in the bloody ordeal, saying “there is definitely more to this story and we need to uncover the truth.”

"The backlash against Lemon was swift with many on social media slamming him as insensitive and “attention starved.' ” 

Lemon deleted the video and now everything is just fine. Unless, of course, Muir and Davis care to discuss Lemon's antics. Don't bother apologizing, Mr. Lemon. TD

Poll: Most Likely Voters Blame Kamala Harris for Record Illegal Immigration

 Breitbart (breitbart.com)  

My mother, the czar.

"The majority of likely voters say they blame Vice President Kamala Harris for record levels of illegal immigration at the United States-Mexico over the last three and a half years, a New York Times/Siena College poll reveals.

"The poll asked likely voters “How much blame, if any, do you think Kamala Harris as sitting vice president should receive for … problems at the border” — record illegal immigration, in other words — to which 63 percent said they place “a lot of blame” or “some blame” on Harris.

"In April of 2021, President Joe Biden asked Harris to lead the administration’s effort in “stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border.” As a result, many media outlets and lawmakers began referring to Harris as the “border czar.”

"Harris has since tried to distance herself from the issue of illegal immigration.

"The poll shows the majority of likely voters are not convinced by Harris’s attempt to distance herself from the border. Only 16 percent of likely voters said Harris bears “no blame at all” for record illegal immigration over the last few years." . . .


Trump’s Debate Anger Reflects America’s Anger

 Hank Vanderbeek - American Thinker

"Trump’s anger is America’s anger. He won that debate, if only because Harris wants a rematch. Every red-blooded American should be at least as angry as President Donald J. Trump." 


. . ." What they saw was someone who feels American’s hurt and who reflects their anger. Trump would not be human if he were not madder than a wet hen at what’s happening to the country and to him for trying to save the country, with the J6 lies, the lawfare, the avoidable attempt on his life, and a three-on-one ambush debate.

"Who in their right mind would not be angry at what’s going on with the get-Trump agenda, and the vile divisiveness of the radical leftist administration? Kamala smiled in his face with a disingenuous opening debate handshake and then proceeded to disparage him with lies, condescension, and abject disrespect. Trump is being criticized by the talking heads because he didn’t do this or that in the debate. His emotion was what was called for at that moment -- outrage! Ronald Reagan was outraged at 1980 GOP debate when he angrily said: "I am paying for this microphone.' ” . . .

Donald Trump’s anger might not take him any further | the Aspen beat  ..."There’s a place for anger in politics. Like a lot of people today, I’m angry. Like a lot of people today, I want to kick the glass doors of our government, media, universities, and big businesses for their censorship, their racial discrimination, their wokeness, their antisemitism, and their incompetence.

"Like a lot of people today, I like a candidate who feels similar anger. That’s why I voted for Donald Trump in 2016, again in 2020, and will again in 2024. He’s angry about the right things for the right reasons." . . .  "Donald Trump has done a ton of good for America, but his anger is reaching the limits of its effectiveness. On Tuesday, he seemed to be kicking glass doors that weren’t even locked."

Forget The Networks; Why Alternative Media Is Saving America   "In the recent debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris (and her debate partners, ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis), viewers were promised an evening of political discourse to allow the two candidates to clarify their policy positions.

"Instead, what America received was one of the most absurd displays of media bias in the nation’s history." . . .
Remember when KaBamala wouldn't attend Netanayahu's Speech in Congress coz she had an urgent meeting with her Sorority - Alpha Kappa Alpha?   "An X poster named “Black Insurrectionist” (aka @DocNetyoutube) claims to possess an affidavit from an ABC employee exposing ABC for having given Kamala the questions in advance and promising her that the moderators would never attack her but, instead, that they would only attack Trump: . . ."  There’s allegedly an affidavit claiming ABC gave Kamala the questions before the debate - Andrea Widburg

"Davis went viral for a ‘fact check’ of Trump on abortion, where she falsely claimed it is illegal to kill babies after they are born and then abruptly turned to Harris for a reply without giving Trump the courtesy of a chance to respond.

"In actuality, babies who survive abortions in the home state of Harris’ vice presidential running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), are allowed to be left to die without lifesaving care–thanks to Walz.

If True, the ABC News Presidential Debate Could Be Rocked by Explosive Scandal – PJ Media    . . ."This wouldn't be the first time that a left-leaning network helped a Democrat's presidential campaign this way. In 2016, Donna Brazile, the interim chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and a CNN contributor, provided Hillary Clinton's campaign with advance access to questions for Democratic campaign events hosted by CNN.

"That said, I'm skeptical. If such a whistleblower exists, the individual would likely speak with someone well-known with a reputation that people would trust or negotiate with a news network. Who is this X/Twitter user and why is he getting this scoop?

"There were problems with the debate, for sure. There were conflicts of interest, and the unprecedented bias of the moderators, but what advantage would having the debate questions in advance really give? Each candidate knows the important issues of the election and would thus know what topics would be covered based on that alone.

"Further, remember that the first question Kamala got was about the economy and about whether people are better off today more than they were four years ago. She punted. She didn't answer the question and was clearly not prepared for it.

"So, frankly, I don't believe this report. I want to see receipts. Until then, don't fall for it. If we get the receipts, we'll go from there. That said, there are people on both sides of the aisle who say the debate was, in fact "rigged.' " . . .

More at the Tunnel Wall 

Kamala’s Condescending and Mocking Debate Faces May Be What Voters Remember

 William A. Jacobson (legalinsurrection.com)  

"Democrats were “thrilled with her facial expressions, thrilled with how she mocked him visually while he was talking, and that was deliberate. There’s no question that was deliberate—that was part of their plan. I just don’t know how that’s going to play. I don’t think it’s going to play well.' ”

. . ."So, it was anger at the moderators, frustration that Trump wasn’t making a lot of the points I thought he could have made, but he was being Trump. And I’ve misjudged his appeal to voters and his electoral success so many times, so it is what it is.

"But there’s something else I took away from this—and it’s showing on the screen just to the side of me here. One thing I really noticed throughout was the faces that Harris was making—very condescending, very mocking, very childish, actually. I think that’s the one thing I remember more than anything about the debate.

"Now, I think Trump did a very good job, even though he didn’t make the points I thought he could have, like showing how she flip-flopped. He hit hard on the border and the economy, and I think that may have a lasting impact.

"What’s showing up in the focus groups—ones I’ve seen not by right-wing groups, but CNN, Reuters, NBC—there seems to be a disconnect between who they think won the debate and how they’re reacting substantively.

"Trafalgar was consistent with the others, showing a 15-point win for Harris in terms of who won the debate, but no movement in who people were going to vote for. CNN was interesting—they had an even larger, 20-plus-point win for Harris, but found that on the key issue—voters’ most important issue—the economy, Trump actually improved over pre-debate polling. Similar findings came from Reuters and NBC." . . .

The American Spectator

Former top Clinton adviser calls on ABC to launch internal probe into whether debate was rigged | Just The News 
 Mark Penn is not the only veteran Democratic pollster and advisor to criticize the moderation. In an editorial, Doug Schoen, an advisor to President Clinton and N.Y.C. Mayor Mike Bloomberg, lamented that Harris "was aided and abetted by two ABC News moderators who seemingly felt the need to fact-check virtually everything the former president said."

What's Going on With CNN? Jake Tapper Rips Into Kamala Harris' Debate Performance – RedState   . . ."When she was asked if Americans were better off, she went into a riff about how she was raised as a "middle-class kid" and she claimed she was the only one on the stage who had a plan that was about lifting up the middle class. So what was it? She wouldn't say. You mean like Joe Biden was always talking about lifting up the middle class while crushing them with the inflation and the border influx? 

" 'It went on from there," Tapper scolded. 

" 'Despite the economy being the number one issue facing the country," Tapper said, Harris "generally reverted to talking points about a few of her policy proposals. Even Harris allies today are saying that she needs to talk more about what she will do for Americans, if elected."

" 'On the border, she also dodged," he declared." . . . 

Merrick Garland's failures

 Peter Olsson - American Thinker

. . ."Any American can see the difference between the FBI raid President Trump’s Florida home and the passive, gentle, polite way the FBI investigated Joe Biden’s homes and offices in search of important documents." . . .

AfterMath

. . ."The most glaring failure in Garland’s leadership occurred when his appointed counsel Robert Hur refused to indict President Joe Biden for his obvious classified records crime on the grounds of Biden’s compromised cognition and memory function. Instead of disciplining Hur or pursuing further duty under section 4 of the 25th Amendment to our Constitution, Garland stood silent. Garland could have appealed to Vice President Harris and other cabinet members to seek Biden’s removal via appropriate constitutional processes. Garland’s inaction has left our country with a president compromised cognitively and legally until January 2025. Did Garland ever notice Joe Biden’s cognitive failures during cabinet meetings? During individual meetings? Garland seems to maintain purity in his own performance and responsibilities by silence, passivity, or inaction." . . .

Shareable Snack: Why Liberalism Left the Working Class

 Sir Roger Scruton Explains - Intellectual Takeout

How The Western Left Betrayed The Working Class