How Dallas Works

Excellent analysis by Jim Schutze in the print edition of The Dallas Observer on how Dallas City government works (or why it doesn't) and how endemic corruption is, . . .

Mike Rawlings Vowed to Clean Up Dallas, But the Feds Are Spilling Dirt Everywhere - Page 1 - News - Dallas - Dallas Observer

Read it and weep.

Le Affair O' Keefe: Good stuff from around the web about NPR's cowardice:

They Brought a Tote Bag to a Knife Fight: The Resignation of NPR’s CEO, Vivian Schiller. by Jay Rosen, at Jay Rosen’s Press Think:

“To give in to that panic is to cooperate in your own demise. Which is exactly what the NPR board did by demanding that Schiller–a visionary leader who knew where NPR had to go in the digital age–resign immediately, and without a fight. This was a stupid and cowardly act, . . .”

NPR Flubs Response to Schiller Controversy: Another “scandal,” another rash reaction by Joel Meares at the Columbia Journalism Review

“It’s to NPR’s discredit that they took O’Keefe’s bait. Even the least cynical of scandal-watchers would struggle to believe that the NPR board is surprised by the sentiments Ron Schiller expressed. It’s not as if he came out in favor of infanticide, or expressed a lifelong admiration of Pol Pot. He offered the same lazy liberal nostrums common at Washington cocktail parties and presumably very familiar to NPR staffers at all levels.”

DEATH BECOMES HER?

Yesterday on NPR’s Morning Edition, Mara Liasson gives Palin a nice wet kiss, today turns the FOX dial at NPR up to 11. In her report she recites GOP distortion and smears without any attempt at balance. Nice so see Mara is now a "deather" promoting the false smear the health care reform will kill you. Could it be because black is more slimming?

I didn't even have to have my second cup of coffee to go from zero to full rant in 20 seconds.

Too busy? Lazy? Don’t care? Or don’t have to provide someone who’s isn’ opposed to health care reform? Nope, my guess just the usual procedures that Mara has learned during her ten years of picking up a FOX News paycheck.

Here's reporting that follows the FOX News’ template:

1. Introduce the piece by framing it with GOP/Right Wing dishonest talking points.
2. Sting together a series of GOP pols quotes reciting their misrepresentations.
3. NO NOT interview or quote anyone from the other side or cite facts that disprove the distortion (oh, like 44 million uninsured HAVE NO ACCESS to healthcare therefore can't get mammograms).
4. Interview an Obama offical restate the GOP talking points, because their true.
5. Provide no opinion to counter the GOP talking points.
6. Conclude the story reciting the talking point again.

That’s the way they do it a FOX! Right Mara?


Again, 44 million Americans already suffer from health care rationing; it's called no cash no care. Maybe if NPR hadn't black listed the recent Harvard Study, Mara might know that 44,000 Americans die each year from lack of health care (you know Mara, RATIONING?)

Another day, another typical NPR pro-GOP commercial by a FOX News employee celebrating her eleventh year of service to Rupert:

Mara Liasson, doing FOX proud.

Some Elections Are More Equal Than Others

Yesterday a state referendum was held on a state's domestic partnership law, it passed by slim margin.

No, Grumpy is not confused or drinking early in the morning, in addition to Maine, where Gay Marriage lost, there was a referendum in Washington State (Who knew?). Not NPR' s Morning Edition.

"Washington's Referendum 71 -- which asked the state's voters to weigh in on the state's domestic partnership law -- was approved by a narrow 51-49 margin -- meaning same-sex couples get to keep state-granted rights otherwise given only to married couples. That's with 100 percent of the vote counted."

If you listened to NPR's Morning Edition this morning you would have heard numerous reports about the Maine referendum, also that 30 states have rejected Gay Marriage.

Number of time the Washington State vote was mentioned by NPR?

Never.

Yeah right, no agenda there.

ATTACK OF THE SOCK-PUPPETS

As permanent fixture at NPR.org, rather like a hobo living under the bridge who stands by the side of the highway and rants at the cars, I have noted a trend in the NPR.ORG comments section, or it could just be the voices in my head.

I thought it was curious that most the Wingers who posted comments either defending a conservative after an interview or complaining about "liberal NPR" and how biased it was, pictures were always blank and all seem to have a similar almost robotic style. These all tended be single posts by people with no information, I call these "One Post Winger Trolls" (tm) Grumpy Industries Intl.

In the comments section for yesterdays Steve Inskeep's and Michael (Not Man of) Steele interview are a good example, Several of the commentors were complaining about Inskeep and "liberal" NPR are from "OPWT: One Post Winger Trolls" (tm) Grumpy Industries Intl.

Looks like the interns that the RNC had a busy day. Wish I was the sysop and could see if these all came from the same domain.

Just clink of the names/links at NPR.ORG below to see what I mean, just one comment no information, I smell sock-pupperty:

Jeana Hines (jvhcom)

N B (Npod)

Thomas Moriarty (Thomas_Moriarty)

Rebecca Cahoon (labmom)

Sebastian Dunne (sdunnepilot)

Warning once you start checking the links it hard to stop, AstroTruf at it's finest.

Yeah, its a petty and small observation: Wasn't the internet invented for people to be petty and small?

Scatter shooting while trying to think of something to post, . . .

NEW FEATURE "NPR.ORG COMMENT OF THE DAY"

(because Grumby's to lazy to think of anything original to post).

This one's by Nate Bowman (NickErbacher) in response to the NPR (Not an) Ombudsman's defense of Mara Liasson's late's FOX New faux pau FOX New faux pau calling "the Cash for Clunkers is like a mini-Katrina here" reinforcing the FOX fake meme that its a failed government program (WTF? I know!) the discussion turns into NPR's relationship with FOX, and of course Juan Williams. Here's Nate:

on the Juan Williams post, cont'd

wherein you also say:
"NPR rarely identifies him as Fox News contributor."

Don't you think we have the right to know that EVERY TIME he appears?

Mr. Williams called the issue a "faux controversy" when he was just practicing "pure political analysis" based on two citations he never mentioned. What a mea culpa!

Again, from the NPR Code:
"We should feel free to guide ourselves by offering suggestions to our peers to help them comply with their obligations under this Code, and NPR journalists should welcome any such suggestions and discuss the issues with professionalism and respect."

Mr. Williams must cease tarnishing NPR's image by saying things elsewhere that he would not say on NPR; and then dismissing the objection. If you insist that Mr. Williams is not subject to the Code (with which I disagree) then either get him to agree to abide by the Code or terminate his contract. Either way, he must stop the denigration of NPR's image. Not to mention journalistic standards. Fri Aug 7 00:33:39 2009

Well played Nick! If you're registered at NPR.org give Nate Bowman (NickErbacher) 's comment a recommendation!

A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

NPR JULY 31, 2006 PRESS RELEASE

"Scott Hensley, founding editor of and former contributor to The Wall Street Journal’s Health Blog, joins National Public Radio on Monday as part of its expanded health coverage.

Vikki Valentine, NPR’s supervising science editor for digital news, says Hensley is one of two additions to the Web health staff. The other is producer Kathleen Masterson, who will develop and coordinate special projects.

Hensley will blog about the news of the day and develop a tone and strategy for NPR’s health blog, as well as build a following. Eventually he will work on longer format stories for use on the site and on the air. Valentine says she expects the rest of the health staff will contribute more to the blog."

NPR has a Health Care Blog? Yep.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/

As a public service for Mr. Hensley and to welcome him to NPR, I've had our staff here at Grumpy Industries International prepare some tips from NPR's style book based on NPR's reporting the past year. This should get you up to speed:

-Single payer is black listed, you can't interview any advocates, doctors, or journalist that support this position, because it's "not on the table*". No stories, no columns, no mention, ever.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106969104

-Never, ever, ever, mention campaign donations or think tank funding when reporting on the GOP and the industry. See: Memory Hole.

-The uninsured cannot be interviewed, profiled or otherwise acknowledge, as well as effective Government health care programs like Medicare, VA, etc.

-No stories are permitted about woman's reproductive rights, Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and similar groups are black listed. Also, doctors that perform legal, ethical, medical procedures are to called "Abortion Doctors" even thought this is not a professional title or industry term. Anti-birth control pro-lifers are to always be portrayed as main stream and treated with the utmost respect, even if they've been convicted of attempting to bomb a clinic.

http://www.npr.org/search/index.php?searchinput=operation+rescue&dateId=0&prgId=0&topicId=0

-Remember to report on only what's "on the table" check FOX and the GOP they set the table for NPR. When in doubt remember: WWPD (What Would Pharma Do?)

-If you happen to know the definition of torture please share it with NPR's Ombudsman, Alicia Shepard. Really, she doesn't know the meaning of the word.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/07/02/npr/index.html

-The accepted ratio of interviewees is that for every progressive or Democrat, you should interview no less that Six Republicans, AEI members, NRO writers, or industry lobbyists. See NPR's coverage of the Economic stimulus earlier this year as good example:

http://nprcheck.blogspot.com/2009/02/are-we-stimulated-yet.html

-Bipartisanship: NPR defines as doing what the GOP wants, especially when the GOP loses the election.

Good luck Scott, you'll need it.