The St. Louis Reporters Roundtable - Telling It Like It Is!

Hear a great discussion from the St. Louis Journalists Roundtable - a monthly radio program featuring some of the best reporters from the area.

In this show, they take the gloves off and tell it like it is... as they so often do.
They provide much better analysis than what you would hear from Faux News, or CNN. Topics of discussion include the Presidential race, The Republican Party, Sarah Palin, American Xenophobia, how American voters choose personality over issues, and the national media coverage of the past week.

They seem to support my theory regarding American voters...and their mindless support of candidates to the detriment of their own best interests.

Guests:

Alvin Reid
City Editor
The St. Louis American (one of the oldest Black newspapers in the nation).

Repps Hudson
Freelance Journalist; Columnist, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Mike Fitzgerald
Reporter, Belleville News-Democrat

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The Story Behind the Story of This Past Week

NPR's On the Media looks at the media coverage of the past weeks events, particularly the criticism from the Republicans who believe reporters shouldn't ask questions (at least not when Republicans are in the hot seat).




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A Message From a Community Organizer

I don't think it's a coincidence that those who mock community organizing, also tend to be less tolerant on race, culture, tend to be more xenophobic, etc. It's also no coincidence that McCain voted against a national holiday for a certain community organizer. Now all of a sudden he's the equal rights guy too... (Can't understand how Obama has allowed McCain to steal half his platform).

The truth is... these people hold us in contempt.... The fact that Americans responded so positively to the racist code language and vitriol of the Republican Convention shows how divided America really is underneath the facade.

Hear a Community Organizer talk about sacrifice, sticking together, and discouragement.

The Lies Told By Sarah Palin

The lies just kept coming during the Republican Convention....

Below are some of the lies told by Sarah Palin

Sidenote: Palin didn't write the speech....it was prepared for her by Republican handlers.

Lie/Distortion #1: She claimed to be an advocate for Special needs children and presented the McCain/Palin Ticket as Shepards for Childrens health.

Fact: John McCain voted against expanding Schip to millions of American children. Remember the 12 year old boy who Republicans attacked last year? Here's a link to refresh your memory.

Republicans don't have much of a track record supporting the needs of children or the healthcare of Americans.

Lie/Distortion #2: She compared herself to Harry S. Truman (as a way of saying that he was from a small town too....and as a way to deal with the experience question).

Fact: Yes, Truman was from a small town in my home State. But before being nominated for Vice President, Truman had years of experience as an Army officer and Veteran of World War I, was a Judge, and was a U.S. Senator for a decade.

This woman can't be serious.

Lie/Distortion #3: Claimed extensive experience to be VP based on her time as Mayor of Wasilla Alaska, and her one full year as Governor. She claimed in the speech that she would explain what her daily duties were as Mayor... but she never got around to explaining.

Fact: The town of Wasilla had a population of about 6 or 7 thousand when she was Mayor. This is hardly proper preparation to run a Country of 300 million and to deal with a $3 Trillion annual budget....the biggest budget in the World. Pat Buchanan (who Palin once supported) and other respected commentators, and former officials agree....she's not ready. Even Karl Rove agrees; Palin does not meet the qualifications for Vice President.

Lie/Distortion #4: She stated that she has a track record of governing with integrity and goodwill.

Not quite, Mrs. Britney Spears of politics.

Fact: She is currently under investigation in Alaska for ethics violations...(also known as Troopergate) for the wrongful firing of her Public Safety director. Palin wanted the Public Safety director to illegally fire a State Trooper, Mike Wooten, who happened to be Palin's brother in law. Wooten was involved (and still is) in an ugly divorce and custody battle with Palin's sister.

As if that's not bad enough, before becoming Governor, Palin was involved in the firings of several Wasilla City officials... who she did not agree with politically. These city officials were not fired because they were not doing their jobs...they were fired for petty political reasons. Sarah Palin was also nearly recalled as Mayor of Wasilla.

Lie/Distortion #5: She is a reformer...and she killed the Bridge to Nowhere.

The "Reformer" title is a stretch...and the Bridge to Nowhere story is a lie.

Fact: In Alaska, Palin took full advantage of wasteful earmarks (when she was on the receiving end of the money). She also initially supported the Bridge to Nowhere...and was a big supporter of her mentor Ted Stevens... who was indicted recently on corruption charges. Palin was in cahoots with the same corporate donors who sent money to Stevens. See more on the Bridge To Nowhere from the Huffpost.

Lie/Distortion #6: Claimed that her efforts to develop Alaska's oil industry would lead the nation to energy independence.

Fact: We can't get that much oil out of Alaska...not enough to free us from foreign oil dependence. And even if Alaska had half the oil that would be needed for energy independence... it would take at least a decade before we would see any benefit...and even then, it wouldn't be a significant savings for Americans. The Republicans keep framing the debate...and making voters believe that more drilling today will lead to lower prices at the pump next week. That's not going to happen.

The best way to achieve energy self sufficiency is to use a broad mix of sources (including some additional drilling)... but the main focus should be to move from oil as a mainstay of our energy policy. That's old thinking. Breaking dependence on outside oil will eventually require an energy policy built around new forms of energy....alternative energy... wind, solar, hydrogen vehicles, new battery technology, ethanol, natural gas, nuclear, and limited clean coal resources.

Palin is looking out for Alaska when she is talking about boosting the oil industry there...she's not looking out for the U.S.

Lie/Distortion #7: Obama never wrote or sponsored one piece of reform legislation.

Well....she was partly right... he didn't write or co-sponsor just one piece of legislation on reform... he helped write/ or co-sponsored at least 3. All significant.

This woman is going to be worse than Cheney.... we will have fond memories of Dick Cheney by the time Palin settles in as VP.

Fact: Obama co-sponsored ethics reform legislation as a Senator in the State of Illinois. After entering the U.S. Senate... Obama co-sponsored a Bill curbing gifts and gratuities for members of Congress... He also supported laws that require more transparancy (supported a Federal Website for the public) so that voters can see how Congress is spending their tax money. There have also been other ethics Bills supported or sponsored by Obama.

Highlights:

Honest Leadership & Open Government Act of 2006

Legislative Transparency & Accountability Act of 2007

The Coburn-Obama Bill (Federal Funding Accountability & Transparency Act of 2006)

Obama's Work in Illinois Senate

Obama's work with Russ Feingold

See Obama's Page on Ethics and Lobbying reform.

Obama has been applauded for his work on ethics and lobbying reform.

Lie/Distortion #8: Obama is against producing energy.

Fact: No response really needed here. But Obama has been the leading candidate (since early in the Campaign), along with John Edwards, for reforming U.S. energy policy and breaking U.S. dependence on foreign oil. McCain didn't become the Alternative Energy guy until he stole Obama's message about 3 months ago. And he only became the "change" candidate about a month ago.

Lie/Distortion #9: McCain will show compassion to the powerless.

Fact: McCain's record simply does not match the infomercial that the Britney Spears of politics was trying to promote.

From SCHIP (healthcare for poor/needy children) to his lack of support for a better GI Bill for Veterans... and his 19 votes against raising the minimum wage; (and so many other issues) McCain's record just doesn't match the rhetoric.

Lie/Distortion #10: She stated she received more votes as Mayor than Joe Biden received during his latest run for President.

Fact: She wasn't even remotely close to the truth on this. As a matter of fact, she wasn't close to the truth on hardly any of her major claims.


The plane she sold on Ebay?

ANOTHER LIE

The above list represents lies that I caught myself... Fact Check may have more. See here.