RAPID RESPONSE: Thursday 1/19/06

[Ian David]

From: Rapid Response Network <[e-mail]>
<US> RAPID RESPONSE: Thursday 1/19/06 Inbox

Rapid Response Network
<[e-mail]>

----------------------------
ISSUE: WTF y'all?
----------------------------

Chris Matthews compares Michael Moore to Osama Bin
Laden
Crooks and Liars
1/19/06
http://tinyurl.com/d8vl2

Matthews: I mean he sounds like an over the top
Michael Moore here, if not a Michael Moore. You think
that sells

** ACTION **

I'm speechless. Really. Give em hell for all I care.
What an a.s.s.

An on-air apology from both Matthews, the episode's
producer and President of MSNBC Rick Kaplan is the
only (THE ONLY) acceptable result.

[e-mail]

[e-mail]

[e-mail] (unverified)

MSNBC Viewer Services: 201/583-4385

(It's a sad day for U of I alumni everywhere... Kaplan
attended Illinois back in the day... then again, so
did Bob Novak, not saying Kaplan is as full of
"bull----" as BS Bob.)


----------------------------
ISSUE: About that canary
----------------------------

...On the Sago Mine tragedy in West Virginia...

New analysis confirms fines for mine safety violations
are down
By Seth Borenstein and Linda J. Johnson
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Jan. 18, 2006
http://tinyurl.com/ck4bs
(Also note all the "Related Links" to the middle right
of the KR webpage)

...for reference...
Mine had hundreds of violations
By Alan Levin, Thomas Frank and Paul Overberg
USA TODAY
1/4/2006
http://tinyurl.com/br66y

** THOUGHTS **

Knight Ridder Newspapers is following up on the
overall status of mine safety in the United States.
With coal becoming a more attractive "alternative" to
oil this is important work.

The findings don't appear too good: two KR studies
have now found that overall safety infraction fines
have declined in the first 5 years of the conservative
and business-friendly Bush administration compared to
the final 5 years progressive and worker-friendly
Clinton administration...

As Pres Clinton often says, "If you work hard and play
by the rules you ought to be able to get ahead in
America." You also ought to be able to make it home to
your family alive.

Allowing business to flourish in a robust economic
arena is one thing. Allowing them to get away with ...
well, you fill in the blank.

** ACTION **

Is your local paper owned by Knight Ridder? If you
don't know, check the drop-down menu under "Choose a
Newspaper" here: http://tinyurl.com/9aklf

Regardless, ask your media to check out this Knight
Ridder series (esp if your local paper is part of KR
and/or if you live in mining country).

It is important to learn about the basic importance of
having rules and enforcing rules when it comes to
protecting people who work for a living. Americans
have a right to know what their government is doing to
protect them while the earn a living. The Paris
Hiltons of America may not have to worry about MSHA
and OSHA and the like, but the rest of us workaday
folks do.


----------------------------
ISSUE: Shut up! Shut Up!!! SHUT UP!!!!!
----------------------------

Getting the Story on Jack Abramoff
By Deborah Howell
(Ombudsman, Washington Post)
Sunday, January 15, 2006
http://tinyurl.com/9tagb

FROM THE COLUMN: "Schmidt quickly found that Abramoff
was getting 10 to 20 times as much from Indian tribes
as they had paid other lobbyists. And he had made
substantial campaign contributions to both major
parties." (referencing "Susan Schmidt, a Post veteran
of 23 years")

** THOUGHTS **

As has been noted ad infinitum, Abramoff himself
donated to ONLY REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES and conservative
causes. Howell's column contained a serious error.

Media Matters noted the error
<http://tinyurl.com/anrrk> and readers soon sought a
correction. When commenters on the WaPo blog explained
the facts re the FEC records Howell refused to correct
herself <http://tinyurl.com/ctf7c> and instead earlier
today WaPo turned off their own blog
<http://tinyurl.com/8lyrz>.

If we can't trust the news media to correct basic
facts after being told repeatedly and publicly that
they have erred... well, that's why groups like Media
Matters (kudos to them for being among the first to
note all this) and Rapid Response exist.

Newspaper readers just want clear information, not
ombudsman who help muddy the waters.

Just who is the Washington Post working for, the
readers that actually buy their newspaper expecting to
read facts or someone else?

(Califlander <http://tinyurl.com/9tg4h> and Georgia10
<http://tinyurl.com/d38jx> of Daily Kos have more.)

** ACTION **

If they won't listen through a blog, maybe they'll
read their email:
Jim Brady, executive editor =
[e-mail]
or [e-mail] (unverified)

cc Deborah Howell, "ombudsman" =
[e-mail]
or [e-mail] (unverified)
phone [phone]

...And their letters to the editor page:
[e-mail]


----------------------------
FYI: More Jack 'Off and other news
----------------------------

**
Republicans gone wild
By Sidney Blumenthal
Salon
1/19/06
http://tinyurl.com/77ydf
or via Truthout http://tinyurl.com/8f64a

++ Blumenthal writes about almost every tentacle of
the monser Abramoff-Conservative Scandal. I'll bet he
had to wash his hands after typing it all. The
conservatives are the ones in power and they are the
ones who allowed their friend Abramoff to run amok to
the tune of millions of dollars and possibly
irreperable national harm.

**
Feds Seek Google Records in Porn Probe
Associated Press
1/19/06
http://tinyurl.com/e344z

++ This is hardly about children. The bigger picture
here is that right-wingers in the White House and
Congress want to construct a slippery slope straight
into devising a Conservative Nanny State to tell us
what we can and can't do. Snooping into people's
bedrooms is but one way that they'll do it.

**
Democrats Leahy, Salazar to Oppose Alito
By JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press
1/19/06
http://tinyurl.com/a9nej

++ One by one Senators are deciding to stand up for
mainstream America and privacy rights (instead of a
Conservative Nanny State), reasonable executive power
(instead of a President-King) and honesty (instead of
an "Incognito" Alito running away from his past
activities and beliefs).

Can America afford a Sam "Incognito" Alito with a
lifetime appointment as a Justice on the Highest Court
in the Land?


----------------------------
MORE FYI: Fighting Dems
----------------------------

Air America's "Majority Report" and Daily Kos have
teamed up to report on veterans running for Congress
as Democrats. Here are the stories on four vets
featured late last year.

Andrew Duck (MD-06), featured 11/22/05
http://tinyurl.com/e4mfk

Dave Harris (TX-06), featured 11/29/05
http://tinyurl.com/996kv

Eric Massa (NY-29), featured 12/06/05
http://tinyurl.com/ar8m8

Charles Brown (CA-04), featured 12/13/05
http://tinyurl.com/cn8q6





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