Patterico's Pontifications

2/5/2011

A Case Study in L.A. Times Bias: Palin’s Support for Reagan’s Small Government Vision Labeled “Partisan”

Filed under: Dog Trainer,General — Patterico @ 11:18 am



And “partisan” means bad.

So don’t talk about limited government, unless you want to be seen as a bad partisan.

That is the message of the L.A. Times coverage of a Sarah Palin speech paying tribute to Ronald Reagan:

See? The suggestion is, here is this tribute for this old dead guy, and this witch is making it about partisanship. When the appropriate thing to do would be to “set partisanship aside.” That’s clearly the suggestion, right?

As she launched a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birthday, Sarah Palin delivered a blistering critique of the expansion of government under President Obama’s watch and called on like-minded Americans to fight for Reagan’s principles of individual freedom and smaller government.

During a banquet at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, Palin skewered Obama’s recent State of the Union address.

Nice people don’t issue “blistering critiques,” Governor Palin. It’s not considered polite to “skewer” people. Try not to be such a grating shrew, will you?

So what is the “partisan fire”? What are the “blistering critiques”?

“They have all sorts of half-baked ideas of what to spend — I mean, invest — our hard-earned money on for their idea of national greatness. These investments include everything from solar shingles to fast train tracks,” Palin said. “But as we struggle to merely service our unsustainable debt, the only thing this investment will get us is a bullet train to bankruptcy.”

That particular “blistering critique” is just the sort of thing Reagan would have said, if he were still around today. (I often find myself inclined to get a shovel and see if we can bring him back.) And indeed, a lot of Palin’s “partisan fire” turns out to be just her quoting the words of the dead old guy, from his classic speeches like “A Time for Choosing”:

Palin’s starting point for her remarks was an October 1964 address by Reagan, which he delivered at a Los Angeles campaign fundraiser on behalf of then-presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.

The speech was widely viewed as a moment that helped launch Reagan’s political career.

Two years after the speech, which became known as “A Time for Choosing,” Reagan was elected governor of California.

Palin said many of Reagan’s critiques of Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society in that speech have resonance now.

She reprised a line from that speech in which Reagan said the issue of the 1964 election was “whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.”

Oh, my! The blistering unpleasant partisan fire of that scorching attack is searing my skin!

What really irritates me about stories like this is the hypocrisy of editors who love to pretend that politicians should make tough choices, yet label as “partisan” anyone who actually tries.

Let me directly address the editors of the L.A. Times right now. Are you people listening to me? Good.

You sanctimonious frauds. You looooove to wring your carefully manicured hands and say things like there is a fiscal crisis in this country, but the politicians refuse to be adults and talk about the real problems.

And then when someone comes along and proposes to actually do something about out of control runaway spending, you start assigning stories about how the old people and children will suffer. And you label anyone who wants to reduce spending as “partisan.”

Let me explain something to you people. If one party is fully in support of trillions of dollars in useless government giveaways; if one party supports a new health care entitlement that will eventually put the government in charge of 1/6 of the nation’s economy; if one party screams “look out, old people!” every time someone speaks about meaningful entitlement reform — and if the other party says they want to discuss spending reductions — then I guess you can now justify labeling out of control spending as a “partisan” issue, can’t you?

But all you’re doing is contributing to the problem.

You could take another approach. When Republicans talk about runaway spending, you could tell your readers the facts. You could remind them we have a $14 trillion debt. You could quote experts to explain that unless we reform Medicare, it will only get worse — and this will cripple our children’s futures, (further) mortgage our country’s capital to China, and ultimately result in our country’s loss of its status as a world superpower.

Or you could just label all such talk “partisan,” dust off your hands, and go home to a nice glass of Chardonnay. In other words, you could continue to provide propaganda for the bloated welfare state — even as you prepare tomorrow’s editorial about those irresponsible politicians who won’t tackle our real problems.

You people are as big a part of the problem as anyone in the country, L.A. Times editors. Yes, you. You self-righteous hypocrites.

You want to see this country improve? Stop looking at any anecdotes that help Democrats as material that needs to be given prominent coverage, while at the same time you view any facts that would help Republicans as pesky necessary “balance” that you have to shoehorn in at the end of an article, as minimally as possible. When people discuss spending issues, remind them about the facts of what a big hole we’re in.

And stop labeling anyone who wants to talk about these things as “partisan.”

That’s my advice to you.

Which you will ignore.

Which, remind me again why we’re supposed to care that your newspaper is dying?

207 Responses to “A Case Study in L.A. Times Bias: Palin’s Support for Reagan’s Small Government Vision Labeled “Partisan””

  1. Facts don’t have an agenda, but the LA Times sure as hell does, and it isn’t one that’s consistent with faithfully informing readers.

    ropelight (7c54e4)

  2. Conservatives attack their opponents while liberals offer solutions to problems, i.e. tax and spend.

    This is the way the media sees the two sides of the same coin.

    Arizona Bob (e8af2b)

  3. Not surprising that Abcarian, who’s shortcomings you’ve chronicled contributed to the piece

    narciso (e888ae)

  4. She has to glom onto Reagan cause her own record is so notably anemic … half a governorship and some media deals. They’re even thinking about ditching her vaunted pipeline deal, which, that’s like her biggest achievement in her whole life.

    But Mr. Reagan served two whole terms as governor of a hugely significant state and didn’t even threaten to quit once much less do it. He already had tasted the sweet sweet money and the heady lights of tv so maybe he wasn’t as tempted as Sarah. Or maybe he just was dedicated to governing.

    I kind of bet it was the latter.

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  5. I can ‘t find the link, but you did a commentary on this piece as well, Patterico;

    http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/21/nation/na-palincollege21

    narciso (e888ae)

  6. So you see how the template is formed, pay attention they will do it all of your candidates

    narciso (e888ae)

  7. “She has to glom onto Reagan cause her own record is so notably anemic”

    Mr. Feets – I thought Palin was giving a speech honoring Reagan and his principles, not herself. Perhaps you were listening or reading something different.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  8. Mr. Feets – Maybe you could reprise you thoughts on the slutty and wacky Lila Rose for everybody’s enjoyment. It’s a slow news day.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  9. Abcarian, is like the gift that keeps on giving or something;

    http://www.cheatseekingmissiles.com/2008/10/05/media-bias-81/#comments

    narciso (e888ae)

  10. Reagan never had to glom onto Reagan to appear Reaganesque he just did it.

    This is a key difference between two-term Reagan and half-term Sarah.

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  11. Sarah, I just can’t quit you. It’s a reflex!

    The Id of Happyfeet (306981)

  12. and watching over lucky clovers isn’t that bizarre

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  13. Mr. Feets – I get it, another one of your baseless ad hominem attacks unrelated to the post itself. Thanks so much.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  14. Just one example of the top byline’s work

    http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/28/nation/na-maeve28

    narciso (e888ae)

  15. happyfeet on chatroulette: “Sarah Palin owns a horse.”

    SPQR (26be8b)

  16. Ah, she’s of those Reston’s, just folk that’s all;

    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/fashion/weddings/14RESTON.html

    narciso (e888ae)

  17. Don’t be afraid to give voice to your opinion, Patterico.

    Happyfeet – do you disagree with anything she said, or just her in general?

    JD (29e1cd)

  18. I posted the previous links, because what’s the line’ first time, accident, second time, coincidence, third time is enemy action ‘ that’s
    what this last piece looks like

    narciso (e888ae)

  19. just her in general I hardly ever have any quibbles with the stuff she says cause it’s so generic and duh

    Generic and duh is not the same as leadership. What’s the plan, Sarah? Blowing Reagan up the country’s squeakhole isn’t a plan.

    It won’t be morning in America for many many moons, if ever. America has squandered all her mornings.

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  20. Too bad we can’t find a Republican who says everything Sarah Palin says but isn’t Sarah. I bet it would even make happyfeet happy.

    As for me, I’d like to see her run but if she doesn’t win, I’d like to see a GOP President put her in the Cabinet. She could start as Energy Secretary.

    DRJ (fdd243)

  21. And this is a good post, Patterico. Thanks for pointing out the media bias.

    DRJ (fdd243)

  22. Well we could go for Bachman, that would provoke the same reaction in the pikachu, or Haley, but
    that will be a while though

    narciso (e888ae)

  23. I should have said a man who says everything Palin says.

    DRJ (fdd243)

  24. DRJ, I am still laughing at the same tired insults at Palin from someone who calls Palin “generic and duh.” Irony alert!

    We get it. Mr. Feet doesn’t like anything Sarah Palin does or says. Fine. Stipulated. Expected. Move along.

    But he just cannot help himself; no matter who tries to get him to relax and move along.

    DRJ, you hit the nail on the head: it’s personal. And we get it. Too much of it, maybe. But that’s me.

    Simon Jester (306981)

  25. I wish she would have challenged Steele.

    JD (85b089)

  26. Thanks, DRJ. You say it so well.

    PatAZ (8f2e89)

  27. That would have been a great choice, JD.

    Simon Jester (306981)

  28. the 80s were cool though but mostly cause of the Brits how kooky is that but also Bret Easton Ellis and John Hughes and Margaret Thatcher

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  29. happyfeet, you are getting more bizarre by the day.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  30. no one would every confuse light and fluffy Sarah with the Iron Lady boy you can’t even imagine Margaret Thatcher up and quitting it’s unthinkable to where if you try and think it … you can’t!

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  31. SPQR, you just won “understatement” of the year. But what do you get as your award?

    Simon Jester (306981)

  32. In comparison of things happyfeet writes about her and things she says on the telly Sarah Palin is obviously more articulate, intelligent and witty than happyfeet although he keeps calling her dumb. Only thing is that happyfeet has never quit anything which is a delightful characteristic and a milestone too.

    Birdbath (8501d4)

  33. Perhaps some pity should be taken on the grossly misnamed “happyfeet”.

    How pathetic and degraded a life must it have to be reduced to spending it trolling blogs all day, every day, looking for Sarah Palin posts to spam with tedious inanities ?

    A Fine Bunch of Rubens (720b7a)

  34. Pikachu, do you really want to be in the same boat
    at Ron Reagan jr, choose wisely. Recall also that
    Thatcher along with Reginald Mauldling who was referenced in the Python series, as laughingstocks, as opposed to the sterling statesmanship of Wilson and Callaghan

    narciso (e888ae)

  35. very pathetic and degraded there’s not even a Schlotzsky’s where I live

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  36. I live in a little town and there are two yummy Schlotzsky’s within a few miles of where I live. No wonder you’re unhappy, happyfeet!

    DRJ (fdd243)

  37. happyfeet is a novelty act he’s like a Mini Cooper or the Volkswagen Thing.

    Birdbath (8501d4)

  38. you are so lucky and I bet you have chik-fil-a too and maybe even grandy’s, huh?

    man it’s hard out here for a pikachu

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  39. We definitely have Chick-fil-A and Grandy’s, too, although I admit I’ve only been to Grandy’s once. My family prefers Clear Springs and its terrific onion rings.

    DRJ (fdd243)

  40. grandy’s is just for breakfast for me – they have tasty tasty biscuits I remember in my little town on Sunday when a pikachu might be hungover and wanting some tasty breakfast you’d see tons of people in there just come from church all dressed up cause the biscuits and gravy were so tasty and also value cause they were cheap and you didn’t have to tip anybody

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  41. My hungover days were so few and so far back I don’t even remember them, but biscuits are tasty. Whataburger’s biscuits are pretty good.

    DRJ (fdd243)

  42. So now that we’re calmed down, let’s talk Palin again. Can we at least agree she’s more conservative than McCain?

    DRJ (fdd243)

  43. I think she’s wonderfully conservative and I really really admire her instinct what leads her to for the most part downplay social conservative issues in deference to the horrific fiscal situation our little country is facing

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  44. thank you for asking

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  45. You know there’s a bit of an irony, there, as EPJWZ
    points out, for the local party, she was quite forward thinking, it didn’t matter after Aug 29th

    narciso (e888ae)

  46. Heh. You’re being wonderfully generous, hf, but are you having an early cocktail or just being nice?

    DRJ (fdd243)

  47. It would seem it’s the packaging then that you most disapprove of, happyfeet. That, and that you believe she lacks a concrete and coherent plan out of this mess?

    Dana (8ba2fb)

  48. Heh, Dana. Heh.

    Simon Jester (306981)

  49. SSDD; another good takedown.

    To answer your q to the LAT at the end of the OP: Even a professional, unbiased newspaper would be losing readers in this internet-ification age, but the LAT is projectile VOMITING them.

    Mitch (e40959)

  50. no for reals my biggest problem with Palin is her thin resume and over-reliance on charisma and razzle dazzle – her resume is every bit as thin as Obama’s was and I think the presidency is being cheapened by these Obama Palin type lightweights with their media-constructed personas and their reality tv production values

    if she would but eschew the presidency me and Sarah could get along pretty well but I do think her presidential flirtations are an unhelpful distraction for Team R at a crucial time and I think that’s unfortunate

    but to be fair… if Romney had charisma I would feel the same way about him you know, his governing experience notwithstanding

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  51. Here is the money line:

    Republican Nominee Moneyline
    Sarah Palin +300
    Mitt Romney +400
    Bobby Jindal +500
    Mike Huckabee +500
    Tim Pawlenty +1000
    Mark Sanford +1200
    Charlie Crist +1200
    David Petraeus +1500
    Newt Gingrich +1500
    Jeb Bush +2000
    John McCain +2000
    Rudolph Giuliani +1500
    Ron Paul +2000

    Looking at the top 4, you get Palin (unelectable), Romney (Mormon), Jindal (an exorcist? for reals, yo?) Huckabee (no one I know likes him). I’d prefer Gingrich (unelectable) and zombie Reagan. Or Ditka if he’d run.

    Maybe I’ll look into Crist. He could be our first black republican preznit.

    carlitos (09dd72)

  52. You know, about this obligation to finish her term as governor, if McCain had won she would have left Alaska with him and gone to Washington. I suppose that would have been a better excuse to quit her job. Still, different routes, same result.

    Birdbath (8501d4)

  53. Mr. Daniels isn’t even on that list that’s very disheartening

    Mark Sanford? LOL.

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  54. David Petraeus +1500

    If he even sniffs about the possibility he drops to the prohibitive fave.

    Birdbath (8501d4)

  55. It’s certainly fair to be concerned about experience but I don’t understand hostility to charisma. It’s not a substitute for other qualities but we have to acknowledge its importance in today’s media-driven world.

    DRJ (fdd243)

  56. Maybe I’ll look into Crist. He could be our first black republican preznit.
    Comment by carlitos — 2/5/2011 @ 2:57 pm
    Theme music: {s_Geto Boys:}”Damn, It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta~! Bushwick Bill for VP, and you have all the special interests covered.

    TimesDisliker (54992d)

  57. First act as Preznit: Full pardon for Wesley Snipes.

    TimesDisliker (54992d)

  58. Obama gave charisma a bad name it’s become an inherently suspect quality anymore I think

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  59. I’m hoping President Obama gives liberal nanny-state big government a bad name, not charisma.

    DRJ (fdd243)

  60. it’s kinda like how fat free ranch put everyone on alert that sometimes fat free just means it’s gack

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  61. Obama gave charisma a bad name it’s become an inherently suspect quality anymore I think

    I agree.

    The problem is, liberal nanny-state big government is precisely what an overwhelming number of Americans want. Some want it even bigger and better than it is now.

    Dana (8ba2fb)

  62. DRJ #57: oh, I think most of us can understand why some people “hate” charisma. True, it’s not a big deal to most people. Wink.

    Simon Jester (b98cae)

  63. Let’s hope against hope that the GOP finally gets the message and the smelling salts and drafts Christie to run – if they took a courageous step in this manner, I’d bet he’d do it. I also still like Daniels, but can already see the MFM tearing him a new one as soon as he announces – I don’t know if he has the fire in the belly in order to counterract those attacks, but we already know that Christie would make mincemeat of them. I’d absolutely relish watching him make the media out to be the utter fools they are, he already makes the NYC press look ridiculous.

    Dmac (498ece)

  64. Les Grossman ’12.

    Pa-LAY-ah!

    Mitch (e40959)

  65. BTW – yeah, he’s got a gun problem, and the NYC mosque thing was disappointing, but he’s still learning, and quickly.

    Dmac (498ece)

  66. Opinions requesred re: Rick Perry

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  67. I think he’s running and, if so, he will be well-financed.

    DRJ (fdd243)

  68. Dmac, what about illegal immigration – wasn’t he squishy on that?

    Dana (8ba2fb)

  69. I have a personal dislike for Rick Perry, despite the fact Texas has run relatively well for many years. When I consider my complaints about Perry I realize they really don’t amount to much compared with my complaints against Christie (whom I really like).

    I just wish we could combine Ryan’s ideas with Perry’s resume.

    even though I do not love the superficial Romney or Perry motif, we live in a superficial time, and we need razzle dazzle to compete against Obama.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  70. Rick Perry has it all, as this piece of history shows. He keeps fit, practices excellent gun control (two hands), loves his daughter, and will fight to protect a Labrador. But mostly I like him because I am also afraid of snakes.

    Rick Perry blasts ‘wily’ coyote with one shot
    By JIM VERTUNO
    © 2010 The Associated Press
    April 27, 2010, 11:51PM
    AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Rick Perry has a message for wily coyotes out there: Don’t mess with my dog.

    Perry says he needed just one shot from his laser-sighted pistol to take down a coyote that was menacing his dog during an early morning jog in an undeveloped area near Austin.

    Perry told The Associated Press he sometimes carries his pistol, loaded with hollow-pointed bullets, when he jogs on trails because he’s scared of snakes — and that he’d seen coyotes in that area.

    When the coyote came out of the brush toward his daughter’s labrador retriever puppy on a February jog, he charged it and shot it with his .380 Ruger pistol.

    “Don’t attack my dog or you might get shot … if you’re a coyote,” Perry said.

    Mitt Romney saved a family of boaters from drowning, but those interested can google it themselves.

    TimesDisliker (54992d)

  71. DRJ

    point out anything that Palin has DONE that is conservative as an elected official

    What I saw was 38% increase in spending and a 200 to 300% increase in corporate taxes….

    EricPWJohnson (f4c55e)

  72. to #35 plus to a bunch of posts by daleyrocks– Everytime I read something happyfeet writes I am more and more convinced that “Mr.Feets” is actually “Ms. Feets.” IMHO only. Consider:
    She hates Palin and she hates Lila Rose. And she hates them because they are beautiful, poised, accomplished, sexy, intelligent, strong, opinioned, well-read, Conservative women…. men don’t reason through articles like this, fussing (emphasis on FUSSING) about just hating someone because they are that someone; nor do men argue about “all our mornings are gone” etc with the exception of Dylan Thomas and maybe Connor FriedersDork and Pfc Manning. But Dylan’s been on the other side of the veil for quite a long time. As for the other two, it’s possible. This is just MHO.

    LeonidasOfSparta (c9c010)

  73. thanks for sharing Mr. Sparta that is very interesting especially about the mornings I think you have some original insights

    Rick Perry had that cool highway plan that was one of the most awesome and visionary infrastructure projects ever in history plus he got behind an ambitious if ill-fated coal plant building program that was almost as awesome and visionary… and it was the boldest assertion I think any public official has ever made that energy should be cheap and plentiful.

    We could do worse.

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  74. Man, I give my best comment ever here

    happyfeet on chatroulette: “Sarah Palin owns a horse.”
    Comment by SPQR — 2/5/2011 @ 12:57 pm

    That’s freakin’ hilarious and I get no love.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  75. Mucho props, SPQR. I enjoy a lot of Happyfeet’s quips, and I don’t really care if he wants to mention Palin all the time. Sometimes it’s pretty clear he’s interested in getting a reaction.

    Happyfeet, I really resented the TTC idea, which is excellent for everybody except Texas taxpayers. It’s great for people who want to pass through Texas in style.

    On the other hand, Texas does desperately need more highways. It really did get this ‘awesome and visionary’ flavor, where a normal project became a nightmarish mess.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  76. What I saw was 38% increase in spending and a 200 to 300% increase in corporate taxes….

    Comment by EricPWJohnson

    What about the long list of taxes she cut? What about the corruption she exposed and remedied? What about reducing bloated trappings of office? What about fighting the Murkowski corruption?

    Palin’s conservative. No, she isn’t arch conservative. She will spend money on things, and she will raise taxes under some circumstances (such as in response to rampant oil company corruption).

    God bless her for doing it, IMO.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  77. Dustin – he doesn’t want a discussion. He just wants to lie and vent his spleen about how much he hates Palin.

    JD (6e25b4)

  78. it was more than a highway it was freight and fiber optics and such as i remember it

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  79. I realize that, JD. It’s getting really tiresome seeing EPWJ deny Palin did anything conservative at all, over a couple of issues that actually could be worth a great discussion in their own right.

    I don’t think Palin is our best nominee. I certainly don’t mind if EPWJ wants to criticize something she did. But let’s be fair. The political atmosphere with the Murkowskis was corrupt in many directions, and that’s why it was possible for Alaska to get a much better deal for their natural wealth when their governor was more interested in her job than her pocketbook.

    I don’t see how this tax would prove Palin is unacceptable, totally. It’s fine to discuss, but perspective is important.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  80. it was more than a highway it was freight and fiber optics and such as i remember it

    Comment by happyfeet

    Yeah, it was quite the conglom.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  81. There are a couple of posters who seem pretty obsessive about Ms. Palin. Fair enough.

    They just ought to write “Palomino” and then we could fill out the now familiar commentary in our heads.

    YMMV. Mazel tov.

    Simon Jester (b98cae)

  82. to #35 plus to a bunch of posts by daleyrocks– Everytime I read something happyfeet writes I am more and more convinced that “Mr.Feets” is actually “Ms. Feets.” IMHO only. Consider:
    She hates Palin and she hates Lila Rose. And she hates them because they are beautiful, poised, accomplished, sexy, intelligent, strong, opinioned, well-read, Conservative women…. men don’t reason through articles like this, fussing (emphasis on FUSSING) about just hating someone because they are that someone; nor do men argue about “all our mornings are gone” etc with the exception of Dylan Thomas and maybe Connor FriedersDork and Pfc Manning. But Dylan’s been on the other side of the veil for quite a long time. As for the other two, it’s possible. This is just MHO.

    Comment by LeonidasOfSparta — 2/5/2011 @ 4:17 pm

    feets is a dude in person. On the internet, who knows? 🙂

    carlitos (09dd72)

  83. That’s just in the Matrix, carlitos.

    Simon Jester (b98cae)

  84. good eye, Mr. carlitos

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  85. JD,

    Here we go with your endless “youre lying because I dont agree with you” accusations and pronouncements

    1. Look at the financial spending reports from the State of Alaska – did spending go way up or not – its a simple question

    2. Are corporate taxes paid by some mythical entity in a Wall street suite or are they paid by Americans who have to buy petroleum products to conduct everyday commerce?

    3. Are high corporate taxes a barrier to investment?

    4. Did Palin raise these taxes to unprecedented levels?

    If the truth is venting then well you have it

    EricPWJohnson (375366)

  86. Shorter form: Palomino!

    Simon Jester (c8876d)

  87. Dustin,

    There is no long list of taxes she cut – the only taxes she cut were minor and cost the state more to collect them than they were worth – it was a good move on her part – but also her cuts were to spend money somewhere else – she tried to cut ExxonMobil out of the piple contract by giving it to a canadian company along with more direct cash to a Canadian comapny than her small tax cuts

    Exxon is partnering with the Canadian pipeline company and has ended Sarahs pipeline achievement becaue they are not going down that road of spend 60 billion for the promise of low taxes and then another Sarah comes along and changes the investment structure – after the money is spent

    EricPWJohnson (375366)

  88. Simon

    Truth is a pesky obsession

    EricPWJohnson (375366)

  89. What do you call a group of Palominos in harness?

    Simon Jester (c8876d)

  90. I didn’t know that Reagan was non-partisan to begin with. Seems to me I don’t remember many D’s saying nice things about him, certainly not out here in Philly.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  91. Same shlt, same douchebaggery by epwj, different day.

    Off to watch Anderson Silva on PPV.

    JD (109425)

  92. Simon

    Oay so in your own words – what? – Are you saying that Palin cannot be criticized for her actions and are you calling Patterico a Palomino as well since he has made numerous posts on Palin? What about DRJ? So we can’t discuss her at all without being branded as something as to avoid addressing her actual record as governor?

    EricPWJohnson (375366)

  93. JD

    Name calling, thats all you have?

    Simple 2 questions:

    did spending go up?

    did she raise taxes?

    EricPWJohnson (375366)

  94. Great, EPWJ is going to repeat his kindergarten act again.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  95. Emphasis on the word “repeat”—hence a thundering herd of palominos.

    Simon Jester (c8876d)

  96. Also, SPQR, my guess is that these characters never are allowed in the real world to ride their hobby horse…but here on the internet, Morpheus…

    Simon Jester (c8876d)

  97. “Truth is a pesky obsession”

    Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – For you it is nowhere in evidence as your bias is just as bad as the LA Times.

    “1. Look at the financial spending reports from the State of Alaska – did spending go way up or not – its a simple question”

    Were Palin’s increases in spending out of line with increases in revenues? What did she spend the increases on, specifically? Paying dividends to the people of Alaska, fixing pension problems not addressed by prior administrations were two of the major items. Why not list a few others? Did Palin reduce spending when revenues drop again, yes or no?

    “2. Are corporate taxes paid by some mythical entity in a Wall street suite or are they paid by Americans who have to buy petroleum products to conduct everyday commerce?”

    Taxes on oil companies are the primary source of revenue for the government in Alaska as you well know. There is no state income tax. The state constitution says the mineral wealth of Alaska belongs to all Alaskans.

    I have absolutely no evidence that taxes imposed on the export of a commodity product traded on world market from Alaska is passed on to consumers at the retail level who have many different choices from whom to buy. If you have any specific evidence that the taxes are passed on, please present it, otherwise stop making the ridiculous claim.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  98. Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – Do you still think Palin is a racist?

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  99. Daley

    Who paid for these “dividends” taxpayers? did the money arrive by magic?

    Where Palins increses out of line? 38% in two years? Show me any state budget that increases 19% in two years 400% more than the CPI

    Daley – show me where tha Alaskan oil is traded on the world market – its shipped to California

    EricPWJohnson (375366)

  100. Happyfeet, you speed up my reading as I skip your Palin derangement comments.

    I do think it is nice for the LA Times to point out that anyone who wants to cut spending is an enemy of Democrats. That will be a help in 2012.

    Mike K (8f3f19)

  101. i’m here to serve

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  102. Eeww. NTTIAWT.

    Simon Jester (c8876d)

  103. Simon

    You still havent answered the Palomino question yet? Why?

    SPQR

    If you disagree, then why? what evidence do you have?

    EricPWJohnson (375366)

  104. EricPWJohnson – Answer my questions first. Then maybe I’ll think about answering your irrelevant ones. I did not say Alaskan oil was traded on the world market. There is a world market for oil. I think you have heard about this, probably.

    Don’t dodge. Answer.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  105. EPWJ, its long past time you grew up.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  106. Look I’m open for any evidence that Palin reduced Alaskan spending and cut taxes, so far we have a small coupon book of tax cuts, to wash a 5 billion dollar tax increase.

    in 2011 if the price of oil goes up Alaska will not only be spending TWICE the amount of money it did under Murkowski(the Governor Palin beat in the primary by criticising his out of control spending) – but will declare a budget crisis in 2012 if they dont get to spend even more

    This is Palins Alaska – lets hope its never Palins America

    EricPWJohnson (375366)

  107. Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – Your continued evasions just illustrate your bias is as bad as the LA Times, but it is nice to see Huffington Post talking points about Palin here, just not on every thread.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  108. Is there a transcript online? There are several video uploads available but I don’t find a transcript .
    I’ll pick this one if only to see what Mr. Feets says about the website.

    Unfortunately, since I upgraded my browsers and flash plugins a couple of weeks ago, watching videos on my computer has gone from problematic to don’t even bother, so I have no idea, beyond scattered quotes, what she said

    But if the speech was mostly devoted to attacking Obama on the pretext of honoring Reagan (as opposed to a few paragraphs attacking Obama in the middle of a speech that was focused on Reagan), then “partisan” is a valid description.

    Same as it’s a valid description of this blog.

    And after reading this quote, I don’t want her anywhere near our foreign policy decision making process.
    Palin said in the Friday interview the U.S. must find out who is “behind all the turmoil” and that “we should not stand” for a government led by the Muslim Brotherhood.

    Apparently she doesn’t understand that it’s the people of Egypt who are behind the anti-Mubarak movement.

    And perhaps she could outline specific steps that would the US could take to ensure the Muslim Brotherhood don’t get to lead the next Egyptian government. I certainly don’t know of any.

    kishnevi (2d88a8)

  109. SPQR

    Do you have a contribution to this discussion?

    EricPWJohnson (375366)

  110. “Look I’m open for any evidence that Palin reduced Alaskan spending and cut taxes”

    Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – Look, I’m open for you answering the questions directed at you, otherwise you have exposed yourself as throwing up vacuous talking points.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  111. Daley

    I answered your questions, I reject the premise based upon Palins criticism of the out of control spending she cited by Murkowski during the Gubernatorial primary debates in 2006, (she outspent him 38%)

    Nothing needs to be “fixed” by raising taxes – thats what democrats do

    Spending needs to be cut, you really arn’t advocating that higher taxes are a good thing are you?

    EricPWJohnson (375366)

  112. Daley

    I dont mean to be disrespectful, thak you for aswering, but I have to check out of my Hotel in Abu Dhabi and fly to Doha

    See you tommorrow

    SPQR

    🙂

    EricPWJohnson (375366)

  113. It is charming that all of you, insist on facts, as if the lastten years hadn’t happened. W was the personable bipartisan governor, who was reimagined as a drooling psychotic hearing voices from god, Guiliani, helped save NY from the precipice, but actually he had nothing to do with, now Squire Bloomberg on the other hand. Cheney was the stateman, everyone pretends Joe Biden is, but they painted him as a Bond villain. Rumsfeld, similarly had been an able administrator for nearly forty years,I don’t what tack they will take against Daniels, I suspect some crazy plot involving Eli Lilly, and Christie, one sees how they’ve tried to represent this senior prosecutor as some sort of scofflaw. I pointed out how both of these reporters are at the most charitable, abyssmally inept and maliciously slandering on the other, but it is more important to pitch your own hobby horses.

    narciso (e888ae)

  114. “I answered your questions”

    Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – With respect, no you did not. You dodged them once again. I’ll reproduce them once again below. If you take issue with her spending, which line items would you have cut? Be specific.

    ““1. Look at the financial spending reports from the State of Alaska – did spending go way up or not – its a simple question”

    Were Palin’s increases in spending out of line with increases in revenues? What did she spend the increases on, specifically? Paying dividends to the people of Alaska, fixing pension problems not addressed by prior administrations were two of the major items. Why not list a few others? Did Palin reduce spending when revenues drop again, yes or no?

    “2. Are corporate taxes paid by some mythical entity in a Wall street suite or are they paid by Americans who have to buy petroleum products to conduct everyday commerce?”

    Taxes on oil companies are the primary source of revenue for the government in Alaska as you well know. There is no state income tax. The state constitution says the mineral wealth of Alaska belongs to all Alaskans.

    I have absolutely no evidence that taxes imposed on the export of a commodity product traded on world market from Alaska is passed on to consumers at the retail level who have many different choices from whom to buy. If you have any specific evidence that the taxes are passed on, please present it, otherwise stop making the ridiculous claim.”

    “Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – Do you still think Palin is a racist?”

    Hopefully actual answers will be forthcoming, but based on your track record here I doubt it. You don’t have the evidence or guts to back up your smears.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  115. Kish, we know that April 6th movement was the initial impetus, but who is really behind them, what of El Baradei and the ICG, put it another way,
    the Iranian revolution was legitimate but the end
    result of Khomeini was not.

    narciso (e888ae)

  116. I wonder if EricPWJ is trying to impress us with his flying around the middle east. Perhaps if it was by unicorn, just maybe.

    PatAZ (3f81c9)

  117. Narciso–
    in other words, you’re saying that Khomeini and his allies manipulated the revolution once it broke out.

    I agree with that.

    But Palin’s remark sounds something like someone demanding to know who is “behind” the tea party movement.

    kishnevi (2d88a8)

  118. The administration is flying blind, as we’ve seen in many other cases, they may or may not have received information on the uprising, then again
    they ignored it, or acted contrary to it,

    narciso (e888ae)

  119. You want to the extent they will go, regardless of the cause;

    http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_17304920

    narciso (e888ae)

  120. A larger passage from the transcript, not mentioned
    by the AP:

    arah Palin: “It’s a difficult situation, this is that 3am White House phone call and it seems for many of us trying to get that information from our leader in the White House it it seems that that call went right to um the answering machine. And nobody yet has, no body yet has explained to the American public what they know, and surely they know more than the rest of us know who it is who will be taking the place of Mubarak and I’m not real enthused about what it is that that’s being done on a national level and from DC in regards to understanding all the situation there in Egypt. And in these areas that are so volatile right now because obviously it’s not just Egypt but the other countries too where we are seeing uprisings, we know that now more than ever, we need strength and sound mind there in the White House. We need to know what it is that America stands for so we know who it is that America will stand with. And we do not have all that information yet.”

    narciso (e888ae)

  121. Daley

    The only questions (I’m at the airport) I have is:

    Her spending increased 38% over Murkowski despite the fact it was an issue in the 2006 campaign, in two years, why is now increased spending “good” if Palin does it?

    She raised taxes on the soloe industry in her state to the point that they said buh bye, why is raising taxes on corporations “good” if Palin does it? Why is Palins windfall profit taxes on industry any different than those proposed by Obama?

    I’m sorry I haven’t answered your questions, because I have, but there we go

    EricPWJohnson (092cd5)

  122. happyfeet does not have a problem with ‘her’; he has a problem with HER.

    kishnevi beclowns himself again, turning a blind ear to the Time’s use of “partisan” as a pejorative.

    EPWJ . . . *sigh* . . . Palin DID NOT “raise corporate taxes” in the State of Alaska, and you are a liar if you say that she did.

    Icy Texan (1526df)

  123. Oh, I see. Now epwich is claiming that the oil companies are the ONLY corporations in the entire state . . . but not anymore because they all left.

    Or something.

    Icy Texan (1526df)

  124. Well Kish has been jaded about her from the beginning, so that’s not news, By the lights of Reagan’s own remarks, in and out of office, they
    were quite mild, I mean they are lopping off limbs, (oil, agriculture, medical care) and we insist ‘it’s a fleshwound’

    narciso (e888ae)

  125. Icy

    Prove it – are oil companies corporations? and do they pay more taxes?

    Alot more taxes – oh they can rename it anything they want a tax is a tax is a tax

    Oil companies are 90% of the state which is a shame because mineral companies (which many are owned by the oil companies) are mindful of the taxing climate of Alaska when you start to make money.

    Icy,

    Also, cartoonish mischaracterizations of comments have a limited shelf life, the “buh bye” is well documented, that “buh-bye” to never expanding drilling on state lands, under their taxing jurisdictions of the great state of Alaska

    EricPWJohnson (092cd5)

  126. The problem is more in the way of the environmentalist who are blocking the development
    of the port of Anchorage, to spare any stray Beluga, who are blocking the gold mine, in the area, who helped staunch the Shell and Chevron concessions in the North Slope and Bering and Chukchi,

    narciso (e888ae)

  127. Narcisco

    There has been blockage but the cost to override blockages is X added to the extraction price. The Unknown is taxes, when the oil companies were exploring in alaska the taxes were 50% of the cost to find and bring to the surface the oil, now the base is almost 200% which implies a floor of 30 to 35 dollars per barrel depending upon the field and soars to 300% the cost of extraction

    Before anyone invests in gold, copper, titanium mines, (all which are subject to severance taxes) the first thing they look at is the tax climate for royalties and severance taxes.

    EricPWJohnson (092cd5)

  128. We’ve had this discussion before. She closed the tax loophole that had the oil companies not paying their fair share. She DID NOT ‘raise’ ANY business tax rates AT ALL.

    Icy Texan (1526df)

  129. “I’m sorry I haven’t answered your questions, because I have, but there we go”

    Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – My questions were specific. I fail to see the answers above. I will repeat them below again. Please point me to the answers you claim to have addressed or answer them below. Your continued dodging is expected, but tiresome.

    If you take issue with her spending, which line items would you have cut? Be specific.

    ““1. Look at the financial spending reports from the State of Alaska – did spending go way up or not – its a simple question”

    Were Palin’s increases in spending out of line with increases in revenues? What did she spend the increases on, specifically? Paying dividends to the people of Alaska, fixing pension problems not addressed by prior administrations were two of the major items. Why not list a few others? Did Palin reduce spending when revenues drop again, yes or no?

    “2. Are corporate taxes paid by some mythical entity in a Wall street suite or are they paid by Americans who have to buy petroleum products to conduct everyday commerce?”

    Taxes on oil companies are the primary source of revenue for the government in Alaska as you well know. There is no state income tax. The state constitution says the mineral wealth of Alaska belongs to all Alaskans.

    I have absolutely no evidence that taxes imposed on the export of a commodity product traded on world market from Alaska is passed on to consumers at the retail level who have many different choices from whom to buy. If you have any specific evidence that the taxes are passed on, please present it, otherwise stop making the ridiculous claim.”

    “Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – Do you still think Palin is a racist?”

    Hopefully actual answers will be forthcoming, but based on your track record here I doubt it. You don’t have the evidence or guts to back up your smears.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  130. “The Unknown is taxes”

    “Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – Also untrue. The Alaskan schedule of severance taxes is published. The unknown is the price of oil.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  131. This is a little taste of what life was like for her under Dan Fagan, who is the leading radio voice up there, (a Michael Savage like import from Louisiana) and the used car dealer, Andrew Halcro, now out of the radio business, but a stalwart of the oligarchy,

    narciso (e888ae)

  132. And nobody yet has, no body yet has explained to the American public what they know, and surely they know more than the rest of us know who it is who will be taking the place of Mubarak

    I would submit that 1) while different Egyptians, in and out of the Mubarak regime have plans about who will replace Mubarak, no one yet knows who will replace him, not even the Egyptians and 2)if the administration has that sort of information, there are probably good reasons not to make it public. These considerations don’t seem to have occurred to her.

    And the rest of the quote doesn’t make up for it. The penultimate sentence seems to be one of the standard swipes at Obama.

    Kish has been jaded about her from the beginning

    Quite true. If that’s a flaw, then mea culpa. Although I think my opinion of her is slightly more favorable than Mr. Feets.

    kishnevi beclowns himself again, turning a blind ear to the Time’s use of “partisan” as a pejorative.

    Eyes are blind, ears are deaf. Take your pick.

    I must assume I offended you in a past life or something, given how you seemed to dislike me from the start.

    But but the Times using the word as an insult does not mean that the word is really an insult, and that is not an appropriate description of some actions and speeches/writings. Whether it was appropriate here I’ll have to wait to decide, because I need to read the speech itself.

    As I said above, this site can be legitimately called partisan. So can Hot Air and more than a few others. One of Patterico’s main grievances (if not THE main grievance) with the Times is that it pretends to be non-partisan but really is partisan.

    kishnevi (5e8264)

  133. ________________________________________

    Which, remind me again why we’re supposed to care that your newspaper is dying?

    I picked up a hardcopy of the paper a few days ago and was surprised at how flimsy it has become. Its page width has been narrowed down to an awkward, cheap-o size — which I believe was implemented last year — and the lack of pages of advertising really stood out. I recall the years when the paper had more ads than it knew what to do with.

    The current condition of the publication seems altogether fitting in this era of “Goddamn America” and California as America’s answer to Greece/France/Venezuela/Mexico/Spain.

    As for Sarah Palin? I’m not going to worry about her when all the brilliant voters in this country slotted the current occupant into the White House in 2008.

    The following is from a former insider of the administration and apparently is a staunch liberal/Democrat. His previous “hearsay” descriptions have turned out accurate, so I don’t think he’s a BSer masquerading behind a cover story:

    newsflavor.com, October 2010:

    Not long ago, the president took a meeting. He’s late, which apparently is becoming more and more common with him…. In strolls the president, joking with an aide. He plops down on a sofa, leans over and claps another guy on the back asking how he’s been. Apologizes for being late, says he was “held up.” He laughs some more. The meeting begins….He asked no questions of those at the meeting – not one. He left after just ten minutes, coming in laughing and leaving laughing. His behavior during that brief time he was there was described as “borderline manic”.

    …That meeting was an update on Afghanistan, and the President of the United States, the Commander in Chief, could[n’t] give a -expletive-.

    [This account] was told to me…by someone who was. They were there. First hand. They were also left to apologize to the ones left in the room after the president left. Some of these were military. They were not happy. No…that is not accurate. They were pissed. They didn’t say much at the time, but word got back. They were in shock at the president’s behavior.

    He arrives late, leaves early, appears to emotionally shut down during the actual discussion, and to then start laughing once again as he is leaving…how does someone reconcile with that kind of behavior? I didn’t want to believe what I was being told, but I had seen similar kinds of behavior from the president myself, and I can’t dispute the credibility of the source.

    Mark (411533)

  134. Daley,

    Alaska spends more per person than any other state. Is it fair that California “pay” for Alaska?

    What credibility does Palin have to say who is and isnt a Reagan, based upon her actions as governor?

    Why do you keep defending facts that are against you? Most compaines in the United states wither buy petroleum products or products that use petroleum products, when one state decides that they can levy any amount of tax on these vital products – expain why that is conservative or helpful?

    Will an economy create more jobs with higher corporate taxes?

    Will the cost of goods manufactured go down, creating profits and more investment with even more taxes on oil corporations?

    EricPWJohnson (092cd5)

  135. I guess that flight was delayed.

    Simon Jester (306981)

  136. Let’s take another example, that you may be familiar with, the conflict between the chief of police, and the mayor of the city of Miami, he is being forced out, in part because of controversyover a series of shooting in the last six months, and there have been some other allegations with regards to certain investigations of gambling related activities that may have been suppressed by the mayor. Our local fishwrap leaves out the fact that the former was following the latter’s proactive policies, and now ‘has chosen to throw him under the bus, despite being one of the more qualified holders of the office in a generation. Now this example, for those following at home, would never happen, in LA, if one understands Jack Dunphy’s description of the climate over there

    narciso (e888ae)

  137. I guess I’m confused, more taxes (Palin taxes) are good and healthy, and increased spending is good and healthy (Sarah Spending), and these are now conservative issues, just not when Barack does it?

    So a dollar taxed by Sarah is cheaper than a dollar taxed by Obama – I’m not seeing it, but I wasnt the very best student either…

    EricPWJohnson (092cd5)

  138. Simon,

    Board at 10:05 🙂

    EricPWJohnson (092cd5)

  139. Absolutely, Palomino. Never doubted it for a moment. Give my regards to DCSCA, please.

    Simon Jester (306981)

  140. Simon

    Name calling, always what the left does to Sarah

    EricPWJohnson (092cd5)

  141. Simon,

    See you tomorrow!

    EricPWJohnson (092cd5)

  142. So when are you boarding, again? In the Mideast? Oh, I’m sure you converted to PDT. Kind of you. Such a clever man!

    Simon Jester (306981)

  143. Well that was enjoyable, next up some poorly prepared fugu.

    narciso (e888ae)

  144. Narciso–I haven’t been following that, since I live in Broward, although it has filtered through that the mayor and the chief are unfriends. But my general assessment of the Herald is not very high. It never was, and its biases were obvious years ago even to people like my mother (always reflexively pro-Democrat, anti-Republican from childhood). I buy the paper only on Sundays, and only because of the TV section and the coupons. It’s actually a sort of investment: the coupons normally work out to well above the cost of the paper. (And I buy the Sun Sentinel, come to think of it, not the Herald.) My real source for news has been the Internet for several years now.

    However, plus la change plus la meme. When I was in college in Atlanta, we used to call the local paper (the Constitution-Journal) the Constipation-Urinal . And that was in the late ’70s.

    kishnevi (5e8264)

  145. Narciso, that was funny. Ditto kishnevi’s name for the paper.

    Simon Jester (306981)

  146. Well that’s the rest of the story, it was always kind of center left, but McClatchy has taken into
    practically Huff Po territory, including not a few
    borderline truthers like ‘the Abbott and Costello,
    McGovern and Madsen. The Sun Sensible is a little
    better, but I’ve usually seen most of their stories
    on the AP or the Times

    narciso (e888ae)

  147. To clarify the above for non-Floridians; the Herald is the Miami (Miami-Dade County) paper; the Sun Sentinel is the Fort Lauderdale (Broward County) paper.

    kishnevi (2fb3dd)

  148. Sun-Sensible? Sensible is not the first word that would occur to me in connection to them, but fair enough.

    You’re right about where the stories come from. Except for the actual local news, I find that I’ve already seen much of their “news” the previous night online. And the local news is often covered better by the TV stations. (Which is not saying that much.)

    And now if you excuse me, I’m away. Catching z’s not a plane. Sunday is a nearly normal work day for me, even if there’s some allegedly important football game on at some point. (If it was really important, the Patriots would be playing 😉 )

    kishnevi (2fb3dd)

  149. Anderson Spider Silva is one bad dude.

    Hitzlik (d4bbf1)

  150. How many times is that gibbering gibbon with a mouthful of big oil going to repeat the exact same leftist memes? Thank you for the Soros perspective. Simply foraging or tired, very tired memes over and over and over and over and over and over will never make them true, or honest.

    By show of hands, how many peole are surprised to learn that epwj will lie about Palin, because he doesn’t like her?

    JD (d4bbf1)

  151. I didn’t come up with the Sun Sensible, Lambiet a columnist there, now with the Palm Beach Post, did, and it’s a tad ironic

    narciso (e888ae)

  152. You really have to stop holding back, JD, it’s not good for your health, but you’re right.

    narciso (e888ae)

  153. “Why do you keep defending facts that are against you?”

    “Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – Why do you keep pretending these unrelated talking points you spew represent answers to the questions you have been asked. They don’t and they don’t represent facts either.

    Have the courage to either stand behind your smears or drop them.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  154. “I wasnt the very best student either…”

    Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – That’s been pretty obvious for a long time.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  155. Hey, quit knocking Chardonnay!

    gp (686be8)

  156. Simon: isn’t the time in the UAE 12 hours off Pacific time? No great conversion necessary.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  157. Comment by kishnevi — 2/5/2011 @ 9:28 pm
    ME: kishnevi beclowns himself again, turning a blind ear to the Time’s use of “partisan” as a pejorative.
    kishnevi: Eyes are blind, ears are deaf. Take your pick.
    — Cute rejoinder to my (intentional) mixed metaphor.

    I must assume I offended you in a past life or something, given how you seemed to dislike me from the start.
    — When I find that I cannot escape from any thread without feeling the need to respond to at least one of your comments, then . . . it is what it is: you’re wrong, and I’m pointing out how.

    But the Times using the word as an insult does not mean that the word is really an insult, and that is not an appropriate description of some actions and speeches/writings.
    — So, you appear to acknowledge that the Times used the word as an insult, then dismiss its import as a misuse of said word, and then . . . who knows?

    Whether it was appropriate here I’ll have to wait to decide, because I need to read the speech itself.
    — You’re expressing an opinion while simultaneously claiming the need to gather more data before making an informed judgment.

    As I said above, this site can be legitimately called partisan.
    — From what I’ve seen, it leans in favor of the truth.

    So can Hot Air and more than a few others. One of Patterico’s main grievances (if not THE main grievance) with the Times is that it pretends to be non-partisan but really is partisan.
    — Slowly now: Times = news, Patterico = opinion.

    Icy Texan (1526df)

  158. 152.How many times is that gibbering gibbon with a mouthful of big oil going to repeat the exact same leftist memes? Thank you for the Soros perspective. Simply foraging or tired, very tired memes over and over and over and over and over and over will never make them true, or honest.

    JD

    So, Palin is still giving speeches about somethings that she did not demonstrate as Governor? We are on the road to ruin, higher taxes and higher spending, and taking a look at her record – I can see that she didnt do anything that Obama didnt do, giving away 500 million to a Canadian company which represented almost 15% of the State Budget when she ran for Lt Governor, Raising taxes on the “rich” companies to give money away to everyone.

    When she’s president – will she be looking at “rich” companies in the lower 48 then?

    Remember, she was launched as a carefully packaged media presentation (BTW from a candidate you really expressed doubt about correct?), behind the facade of all the manipulations is a totally different record – so different that her actual record is a figment of mine and others imagination or we are leftists if we bring it up?

    She hasnt had to defend her role in office in a debate, yet. She quit, then refused to run for the senate, refused to campaign for anyone and has never ever given a press conference where people can ask her questions.

    She doesnt do certain types of interviews, she’s a carefully managed and packaged entity and its getting tiresome, indeed JD.

    This country was founded on checks and balances of government and access to our politicians through the press, the leftist media did the same thing to us in 2008 with Obama as the right wing media is doing to us over Palin, refusing to ask her why she raised taxes in Alaska and was that good for california and generally grilling her on her record.

    The oil industry is much maligned, its an easy target, its not perfect, tough to defend, but you need it, desperately need it. People screwing massively with it need to explain themselves – ask yourself this what freakin state gives away thousands of dollars to families free – everyone, based on taxing exports to other states?

    And we are supposed to think that crap sandwhich is yummy and tasty now?

    EricPWJohnson (2f9ab5)

  159. I have absolutely no evidence that taxes imposed on the export of a commodity product traded on world market from Alaska is passed on to consumers at the retail level who have many different choices from whom to buy. If you have any specific evidence that the taxes are passed on, please present it, otherwise stop making the ridiculous claim

    -Daleyrocks

    Daley I think, no I know that all companies worldwide, include all expenses (taxes are an expense to doing business) – in fact the tax structure is considered the most important factor to doing any kind of business anywhere

    Corporations are people, tax a corporation, you are taxing people.

    http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/CorporateTaxation.html

    Indeed, the art of taxation, as seventeenth-century French administrator Jean-Baptiste Colbert reportedly said, “consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest possible amount of hissing

    .”

    EricPWJohnson (2f9ab5)

  160. the LA Times is just pissed off because the Palin is ruining their attempted narrative of portraying Obama as “Reagan-esque”.

    SGT Ted (5d10ae)

  161. “Daley I think, no I know that all companies worldwide, include all expenses”

    EricPW – What does that gibberish mean? You have no specific evidence that oil companies have the pricing power to pass on the Alaska severance tax to American consumers, do you? You are just theorizing and spitballing. Present the evidence or stop making the ridiculous claim.

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  162. EricPW – Why are there years oil companies lose money if they can pass on all expenses to consumers?

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  163. You know I’m reminded of ‘Otto’ from a ‘Fish called
    Wanda, who was supremely confident although, Cleese’s barrister, had to remind him ‘Aristotle
    was not Belgian, and the London Underground was not a political movement” This would be the kind of twit
    who would have attacked Reagan for his divorce, and criticized him for his lack of churchgoing vs, Jimmy Carter. I can’t imagine Connick would ever
    employ such a person, and the Al Zayed’s would be
    strongly tempted to draw scimitars when entering
    a room, with him

    narciso (e888ae)

  164. Year Gen Others Bonds Total Increase
    2003 2,540 1,043 594 4,177
    2004 2,268 2,280 – 4,548
    2005 2,441 2,893 68 5,402
    2006 3,145 3,336 304 6,785
    2007 4,335 3,002 299 7,636 3,459
    2008 5,090 4,226 26 9,666
    2009 5,407 4,730 345 10,482 2,846

    Source is the National Association of State Budget Officers

    http://nasbo.org/Publications/StateExpenditureReport/StateExpenditureReportArchives/tabid/107/Default.aspx

    So in four years Evil Gov Murkowski – who Palin castigated for his excessive spending increased in 4 years 3.459 billion dollars, Palin in her two, almost matched it

    So, as the punitive EFT tax was passed by Murkowski – it was surpassed by Palin’s ACES

    You can see the damage – remember oil prices retreated in 2009 but not the revenue – had they stayed even within 20% of 2007 2008 highs the Palin administration in 2009 would have had over 11 billion nearly 12 billion to spend which means Palin would have surpassed the past administration by a considerable margin in just 24 months

    EricPWJohnson (283e8f)

  165. Narcisco,

    Do you have a comment? Are you suggesting what About Sheik Zayed?

    EricPWJohnson (283e8f)

  166. Daley,

    Oil companies go out of business, see Tenneco, Texaco, Gulf, Sinclair, Dixon, Sonoco, Sohio, ARCO, Amoco, Phillips….

    EricPWJohnson (283e8f)

  167. Daley

    I’ve linked to the economic editor to the Forbes empire, The NASBO, the State of Alaska, the Tax Foundation, the Census, The Wall Street Journal, you’ve countered by saying – answer the question

    I see this is not going to go anywhere with you, you have invested too much in a politician who clearly is not worthy of you and your strong support.

    Its a shame in this climate that because others have attacked her for their reasons we cant examine her record

    EricPWJohnson (283e8f)

  168. Daley

    Sure all oil companies cannot pass all costs along to the consumer in the short term but they can in the long term, and if their are drastic changes, then prices will change and come down more slowly when commodities change.

    But you still are arguing that increasing corporate taxes do not affect business’ and that is just not a position that can by any stretch be seen as a conservative issue.

    Because taxes under Palin don’t count, right?

    EricPWJohnson (283e8f)

  169. Every time I see epwj’s name show up, it reminds me of a childrens book where the Knufflebunny says whoopy flappy aggle clabble glabble. Frankly, the kids book is more honest, and less obsessed and OCD.

    JD (6e25b4)

  170. No it’s more like painful Vogon poetry, where ejection by airlock, would seem sweet relief indeed

    narciso (e888ae)

  171. I wonder if it is even possible for epwj to accurately state, or even understand the position of those that do not agree with him. It is clear that he is not capable of doing so. And it is also clear that he cannot or will not answer simple questions posed, either due to not understanding them, or that they might collide with the conservative Soros claptrap he pushes.

    JD (6e25b4)

  172. Patterico#158: sure is. But that meant he started his diatribe at 4AM local. Personally, I think he is in Branson holding some sweet, sweet tickets to hear the comedy stylings of Yakov Smirnoff.

    But of course I could be wrong. Still, the fellow has a serious Palin itch, and keeps repeating his talking points. Over and over again. Which is ironic, to say the least, as he accuses others of monomania.

    To each their own! You say he is a fine fellow. Fair enough. I think he has brain itch.

    Simon Jester (306f5d)

  173. Simon,

    You are correct I start very early, part of flying 20,000 miles in a few weeks is that sleep becomes a precious commodity – I was out in the deep sands and fell asleep early, so I was up early

    JD.

    What simple questions have I not answered?

    Did you see the actual numbers in Alaska? Compare and contrast that with the Governors speechs about restraint, road to ruin, high taxes etc.

    I guess when you replace a Gov who spent too much money then outspend and outtax him in just two years (well almost) – I know its gibbereishly goofy to keep pointing it out….

    I know taxes are paid by big oil and not their customers, I’ll let them know that a Palin tax is different from an Obama tax cause Palin says drill baby drill.

    I get it now

    EricPWJohnson (283e8f)

  174. You clearly do not get it. Though everybody that reads hear quite clearly understands yours, as you have repeated the Soros position ad nauseum. How about something new. The last 935162834685315965 times have not convinced anyone.

    JD (b98cae)

  175. JD

    What dont I get?

    EricPWJohnson (283e8f)

  176. Also I have no idea what Soro’s position is, all I know 100% of the Democrats in the Alaskan legislature voted for Aces – its the onlyway it passed –

    EricPWJohnson (283e8f)

  177. Front row tickets to Yakov’s show. That’s what you don’t get!

    I hear DCSCA is in the same row. Don’t let him bogart the snackage!

    Simon Jester (0d2ffc)

  178. The “I was out in the deep sands” was especially T.E. Lawrence-y. Nice bit, no matter where you actually are.

    What a country!

    Simon Jester (109425)

  179. The headline on the Register, the LAT’s neighbor, today is “Experts: Storms don’t undermine science.” IOW, snowstorms=AGW.

    Sigh.

    Your catechism lesson is now over.

    Patricia (3aa1fd)

  180. re kishnevi @ 6:53 and 7:21pm. You say the people of Egypt are behind the change. We should both google up links maybe, regarding a 2-yr paper trail citing US pressure. Thought Axelrod mentioned this on one of the Sunday shows.

    Vermont Neighbor (17012e)

  181. “you’ve countered by saying – answer the question”

    Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – Exactly, because you hace dodged the questions, asked unrelated questions, provided links to distract from answering the questions, etc., etc.

    You clearly have no interest in defending your smears with answering actual serious questions. Nevertheless, let me repeat them and you can refer to the comments where you claim to have addressed them.

    “If you take issue with her spending, which line items would you have cut? Be specific.

    ““1. Look at the financial spending reports from the State of Alaska – did spending go way up or not – its a simple question”

    Were Palin’s increases in spending out of line with increases in revenues? What did she spend the increases on, specifically? Paying dividends to the people of Alaska, fixing pension problems not addressed by prior administrations were two of the major items. Why not list a few others? Did Palin reduce spending when revenues drop again, yes or no?

    “2. Are corporate taxes paid by some mythical entity in a Wall street suite or are they paid by Americans who have to buy petroleum products to conduct everyday commerce?”

    Taxes on oil companies are the primary source of revenue for the government in Alaska as you well know. There is no state income tax. The state constitution says the mineral wealth of Alaska belongs to all Alaskans.

    I have absolutely no evidence that taxes imposed on the export of a commodity product traded on world market from Alaska is passed on to consumers at the retail level who have many different choices from whom to buy. If you have any specific evidence that the taxes are passed on, please present it, otherwise stop making the ridiculous claim.”

    “Eric “Oil Barrel” Johnson – Do you still think Palin is a racist?”

    Hopefully actual answers will be forthcoming, but based on your track record here I doubt it. You don’t have the evidence or guts to back up your smears.”

    daleyrocks (479a30)

  182. Simon,

    Well except for the Qatar IP address… and the crappy Qtel service…

    EricPWJohnson (283e8f)

  183. In Qatar, internet surf you!

    /yakov smirnoff

    carlitos (8230f6)

  184. If 2012 isn’t already rigged, vote for the one that isn’t deep-dish in Chicago thuggery. Even if it’s Huck (which doesn’t seem likely). R to get out, no third parties.

    Vermont Neighbor (cae88c)

  185. knufflebunny!

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  186. It is a very good kids book, happyfeet. Same author of the Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus line of books.

    JD (d4bbf1)

  187. I disagree with the gist of your post. “Partisan” as used in the article doesn’t carry the freight you assign it. It simply indicates, accurately, that Palin is using the speech not only to memorialize Reagan, but also to position herself for the coming electoral contest between the two parties, to strengthen the perception that she is a leading Obama opponent and a credible alternative to him in 2012. Why shouldn’t she use the speech that way? There is nothing wrong with doing so. Reagan sought and exploited similar opportunities on his long road to the presidency. So did Obama.

    As to words like “blistering” and “skewer,” one would think that Palin and her supporters would delight in such diction. It makes her seem powerful. It’s also consistent with the combative rhetoric she herself favors.

    The LAT story is a straightforward account. Palin is quoted generously. Her own words form the heart of the story. That the reporter makes it clear that the speech has contemporary political significance, in addition to being a tribute, is simply good journalism.

    Angeleno (91c113)

  188. Wen they start using words like Democrat, liberal, activist, partisan, etc … to describe the left, then I might agree with angeleno. As is, to say it is accurate and fair is being willfully blind.

    JD (d4bbf1)

  189. I certainly don’t know of any.

    How about we tell them that any attempt to establish an Islamic state akin to Iran will be met by a summary withdrawal of our annual hundreds of billions of dollars of aid.

    Dmac (498ece)

  190. Awww . . . kishnevi ran away. 🙁

    Icy Texan (1526df)

  191. dmac How about we tell them that any attempt to establish an Islamic state akin to Iran will be met by a summary withdrawal of our annual hundreds of billions of dollars of aid.

    I suspect that jihadis/Islamists might view that as a beneficial thing. (At the very least, it would allow their propaganda to blame all and sundry economic woes on the USA.) Accepting money from the Great Satan itself?

    Icy T. it is what it is: you’re wrong, and I’m pointing out how.
    (Sigh). That’s a pity, since in most of these instances you don’t even seem to notice the point I’m making.
    – So, you appear to acknowledge that the Times used the word as an insult, then dismiss its import as a misuse of said word, and then . . . who knows?

    So because the Times misuses a word, we are all forbidden from using the word correctly?

    You’re expressing an opinion while simultaneously claiming the need to gather more data before making an informed judgment.

    Well, here’s a case in which you didn’t notice the point I was making: I did not express an opinion, except to say that the word “partisan” might be appropriate, and I explicitly acknowledged that I did not possess enough information to decide whether or not it was appropriate.

    – From what I’ve seen, it leans in favor of the truth.

    You seem to be of the mistaken belief that one can not state the truth and be partisan at the same time. IOW, you accept the Times’s misuse of the word as the proper definition of “partisan”.

    Look, anything that intentionally advances the interests of the Republican party or intentionally works against the interests of Obama and the Democrats (the two are not necessarily the same thing–witness the tea party movement) can appropriately be called partisan. Sometimes they are based on facts, sometimes not (in today’s world, very often they are not). But the factuality behind them is not the test of whether they are partisan: it’s the political intent and effect that is the test.

    kishnevi (80bfaa)

  192. Comment by Icy Texan — 2/6/2011 @ 6:53 pm

    No such luck, Icy T. I’m in retail. Sunday is a normal work day for me. I got home at 8, and when I go on my Internet adventures, it’s almost always the end of the day for me.

    kishnevi (80bfaa)

  193. kishnevi:
    That’s a pity, since in most of these instances you don’t even seem to notice the point I’m making.
    — If you’re accusing me of having a knee-jerk reaction, you’re wrong. It isn’t that I don’t notice the point that you’re making; I just disagree with it is all.

    So because the Times misuses a word, we are all forbidden from using the word correctly?
    — Not at all. I merely (and I believe this to be Patterico’s point as well) want for you to recognize and acknowledge that the Times deliberately chose to use and emphasize (including it in the header) that word in a concerted effort to cast Palin in a poor light. The clear implication of its use is to suggest that she did something that was ‘tactless’ or ‘out of bounds’.

    You seem to be of the mistaken belief that one can not state the truth and be partisan at the same time. IOW, you accept the Times’s misuse of the word as the proper definition of “partisan”.
    — Except for in the very next paragraph, where I reinforced the point that the Times presented their story as journalism, while the comments here are opinion.

    Icy Texan (1526df)

  194. I’m a restaurant manager. I worked from 9AM til 8PM.

    Icy Texan (1526df)

  195. Icy T.

    – Not at all. I merely (and I believe this to be Patterico’s point as well) want for you to recognize and acknowledge that the Times deliberately chose to use and emphasize (including it in the header) that word in a concerted effort to cast Palin in a poor light. The clear implication of its use is to suggest that she did something that was ‘tactless’ or ‘out of bounds’.

    I agree. His point was obvious. (Of course, Patterico writes so often about the misdeeds of the Times it verges on OCD.) But I think it needed an important qualifier–that, despite the skew the Times tried to put on the word, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to be a partisan. In fact, it’s often a good thing. And in the morally neutral view of the word, partisan might be legitimately applied to Palin’s speech. I don’t think the distinction you mention between newsreporting and opinion is meaningful here. What is meaningful is that the Times pretends to be non partisan even though it is partisan, and Patterico does not pretend.

    And I apologize for heckling someone who works worse hours than I do.

    kishnevi (80bfaa)

  196. Reagan didn’t put a sunset on tax cuts, he didn’t sign worthless disarmament treaties, sup at the sufferance of leftist dictators, like Chavez ( a Castro wannabe) and Ortega, in fact he aided an insurgent movement to try to depose the latter.
    (Kerry, Dodd, CArter, Dean, Biden, all of a piece
    were at the forefront of the opposition.

    narciso (e888ae)

  197. Patterico does not pretend because Patterico does not report the news — he discusses previously reported items, including discussions of HOW said items were reported. As far as his ‘OCD’ goes, every single day the Times has the opportunity to drop its liberal bias and discipline itself into simply reporting the news . . . telling us what has happened, as opposed to telling us what they want us to hear. It’s called journalistic integrity, and until the Dog Trainer starts practicing it —

    [BTW, I’m certainly not attempting to make you an enemy. Maybe I’m suffering separation anxiety, post-Hooten.]

    Icy Texan (9304ff)

  198. And I’ve pointed out, with the links I found, we have long since passed the point of the benefit of
    the doubt, with these reporters, about anything

    narciso (e888ae)

  199. Comment by Icy Texan — 2/6/2011 @ 9:45 pm
    Sometimes Patterico’s posts involve enough independent research (including bringing together facts reported in diverse places) that they deserve the title of journalism.

    But my disagreement with you here is merely a matter of nuance. I mean, someone could easily write the sort of posts Patterico writes, including those discussions of how the facts are reported elsewhere, but cloak it with a facade of impartiality. Patterico does not: he makes very plain what his attitudes are. And one could write a news report that is very open about one’s attitude to the subject, unlike the Times. So the difference is not between whether something is news or opinion; it’s whether something pretends to non-partisanship or not.

    It’s called journalistic integrity, and until the Dog Trainer starts practicing it –

    When will pigs start to fly?

    I’m certainly not attempting to make you an enemy
    Oh, I know we are all among friends here, even if the Eric Johnsons and Hootens intrude.

    And now, good night to all. Did someone win that football game, btw? 🙂

    kishnevi (80bfaa)

  200. Some comment that Sarah “quit”. If they really believed that, they wouldn’t have had to defend Obama and his Left from her constantly for the last two years. No – they’re just liars like their leader.

    Reminds me of the “Palin’s irrelevant” meme they repeated day after day, week after week, month after month. It started to sound as silly as repeating “she quit,” day after day, week after week, etc., etc., etc….

    If this is the best they got, Obama is toast in 2012.

    Bill589 (5c2827)

  201. It’s a wonder, isn’t it, that the one that they call a ‘quitter’ really has been more a driver against most aspects of the Obama agenda, than most of these other respectable candidates, like pikachu’s matinee idol, who is willing to make
    a Lando like deal with Sibelius, a character that would only have been a proper health apparatchik in the time of Herod, and pray they don’t alter the bargain.

    narciso (e888ae)

  202. Comment by narciso — 2/7/2011 @ 6:47 pm

    A definite plus mark for that one in Palin’s column.

    Although I think Mr. Cannon’s remarks are a good illustration of the point that conservative values and small government are not the same thing, since the real point about gay marriage is that government should not be interfering in the decision of whom to marry.

    kishnevi (fb9343)

  203. It’s in keeping with her actual record in Alaska,
    vetoing down the anti domestic partnership referendum, that was lost in comparison to her
    statement of support for Prop. 8, that led to her
    being hung in effigy, and likely contributed to
    her church being set ablaze, two winters past.

    narciso (e888ae)

  204. At the very least, she’s found a good way to completely screw up Andrew Sullivan’s brain (or whatever he uses for brains).

    kishnevi (fb9343)


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