CNN, NBC, FOX, CBS, ABC and any organization calling itself a "News" provider, that's worth its salt, should have already implemented a permanent fact-checking mechanism in any and all coverage of presidential elections, a long, long time ago.
Cheers to Vicky!
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It makes me think of all the beautiful music I've heard
And brings to mind a kind of paradise
It just may be some kind of wonderland magically
Still don't know how this fortune came to me
All the things I see
When I hear the sound of your voice
When I hear the sound of your voice
If feels to me like warmth from sitting in front of a fire
Light of my life you always show the way
Gleam in your eye a spark igniting the fire inside
Burning so bright the way I feel for you
It's like a dream come true
When I hear the sound of your voice
When I hear the sound of your voice
All of my being depends upon you
That's for sure
You're my refuge in a stormy sea
The sun above that shines on me
I thought that love such as this could be found
Only in movies
Just like searching for a pot of gold
Follow the rainbow and do what you're told
Just when you think it's all been said and it's been done before
Should I explain how you're affecting me
It's not control it's more an influence over my soul
Covering all like colors brilliantly
Canvas brush palette three
When I hear the sound of your voice
When I hear the sound of your voice
To explore whether the statement represented an apology, we sent it to the four experts we interviewed for our previous fact-check on Romney's claim about Obama's apology tour. Here are the comments of the three who responded:
•John Murphy, a communications professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who studies presidential rhetoric and political language, said Romney was wrong to label it an apology.
"First, the statement does not use the word ‘apology’ or ‘apologize’ and does not use any synonym for that word. There is no statement here that says, ‘We are sorry.’
"Second, the grammar of the statement condemns the actions of a third party. An apology, to be pedantic, is when the first party says to the second party, ‘I have offended you and I am sorry.’ This statement condemns a third party -- misguided individuals -- that does not officially represent the United States. The term ‘individuals’ dissociates them from the U.S. Therefore, it's impossible to say that this is an apology from the U.S. to anyone.
"Third, the statement does not apologize for the right of free speech; it affirms it. It condemns those who abuse the right of free speech, but it claims that this is a universal right, as is religious toleration. So, the statement does not like what the misguided individuals said and did, but recognizes they have a right to do it."
"It's a condemnation," Murphy said, "not an apology."
• Lauren Bloom, an attorney and business consultant who wrote The Art of the Apology, said that Romney is "once again allowing his emotional allergy to apology to interfere with his judgment."
Bloom said that "if there's anything more central to American values than respecting each individual's right to worship as he or she pleases, I'd be hard-pressed to say what it might be. The statement that ‘respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy’ not only is true, but is as clear an expression of one of our most cherished values as I can imagine."
She said the embassy statement is "not an apology -- quite the contrary, it's a confirmation that the American people recognize the right to worship freely and will not accept religious bullying in the name of free speech. To say that someone who deliberately insults others in the name of religion has acted wrongly isn't an apology -- it's simply a recognition that those insults go too far."
• Rhoda E. Howard-Hassmann, a professor who studies international human rights and maintains the website Political Apologies and Reparations, a database of documents on apologies, said the statement is "not an apology."
Rather, she said, "it is a condemnation of ‘abuse’ of the universal value of free speech. A condemnation is not an apology. … The Embassy statement also reaffirms two American values: the American value of respect for religious beliefs and the American value of democracy.". . . "
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It was the wrong and cowardly thing to do. It was extreme. When all is said and done, it will not contribute to the accomplishment any possible goal held by the perpetrators of the murders. But the situation is much more complicated than that (much, much more complicated) and requires more than a simple ‘John Wayne’ response from a reputedly ‘responsible’ and ‘respectable’ public figure for such a response accomplishes no more toward a resolution than the initial, violent action.
Let’s start at the beginning. A film. A piece of ‘entertainment’ or ‘diversion’, if you will. Whether or not in the guise of educational or informational material, merely a film. Offensive to someone? Hell yes!. An excuse that someone with an agenda may use to further their cause, however justified or unjustified it may be. (More on that later.)
So a film was made and exhibited via the Internet. The origin of the film is extremely hazy and involves individuals from many and disparate origins including a former Marine and longtime religious-right activist (from a group called Courageous Christians United), a Coptic Christian, 15 key players from the Middle East) Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran), an alleged Israeli-born, 56-year-old, Jewish writer and director and who knows how much of this information is accurate. In any case, all or many involved are now quite frightened of the backlash their venture has unleashed.
First and foremost, in reasonable, rational and educated 2012, a film is a film. A document conceived, written, performed, directed, filmed, manufactured and distributed by human beings. Mere human beings. Nothing more, nothing less. Irrespective you spiritual, religious or cultural beliefs, in reasonable, rational and educated 2012, a film is still a film. Nothing more. Any ‘holy’ book that instructs one to kill another over a matter such as this is surely misguided at best. In fact, most ‘holy’ books, to the best of my knowledge, instruct their readers to be merciful; to forgive. In short, be virtuous; the better man and set the example as opposed to reactionary, vengeful, vindictive and violent.
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. . . of gray? Not in Mitt Romney's (and his current defenders') world. . .
After seeing the photo of Libyans holding a sign stating that "Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans", I decided to change tack a bit.
If you want to have a tough-talking, take-no prisoners, shoot-from-the-hip, show-no-mercy-type of president, vote for Mitt Romney.
If you prefer a rational, sympathetic, empathetic, thorough, fact-loving, humanitarian, logical, intelligent and reasonable president, DON'T.
====================================================================
(from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/11/mitt-romney-consulate-attack_n_1875906.html)
The Romney campaign's statement seemed to be an attempt to capitalize
on the appearance that the Obama administration -- which has overseen
the Arab Spring, and the rise of Islamist governments in both Egypt and
Libya -- was capitulating to the sensitivities of an unruly Muslim
crowd, rather than backing the right of an American citizen to release a
disrespectful film.
But
the statement criticized by the Romney campaign came early in the day,
before the attacks on the two embassies, and was put out not by the
White House, but by the Cairo embassy itself.
The White House later disavowed the statement as not approved by Washington, according to a senior administration official speaking to Politico.
Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt also commented on the statement
from the Romney campaign. “We are shocked that, at a time when the
United States of America is confronting the tragic death of one of our
diplomatic officers in Libya, Governor Romney would choose to launch a
political attack,” LaBolt said in a statement.
(from http://www.mediaite.com/uncategorized/cnn-sort-of-calls-out-mitt-romney-and-newt-gingrich-for-lying-and-politicizing-libya-tragedy/)
CNN’s Brooke Baldwin and John Berman did an excellent job of keeping
the facts straight as they interviewed former Speaker Gingrich on the
subject, no mean feat given Gingrich’s comical contempt for facts. Early
in the interview, Gingrich opined that the protests in Libya and Egypt
were the result of “collusion and a fair amount of planning,” which may
or may not turn out to be true, but which there is no evidence of. When
Berman asked the Speaker “Do you have any proof that there is a
connection right now?” Gingrich prefaced his response with a long,
derisive laugh that tells you everything you need to know about the
former Speaker and Romney surrogate’s regard for facts.
“Look, I don’t have access to the NSA listening devices,” Gingrich responded.
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(from factcheck.org)
". . . Paul Ryan’s acceptance speech at the Republican convention contained
several false claims and misleading statements. Delegates cheered as
the vice presidential nominee:
Accused President Obama’s health care law of funneling money away
from Medicare “at the expense of the elderly.” In fact, Medicare’s chief
actuary says the law “substantially improves” the system’s finances,
and Ryan himself has embraced the same savings.
Accused Obama of doing “exactly nothing” about recommendations of a
bipartisan deficit commission — which Ryan himself helped scuttle.
Claimed the American people were “cut out” of stimulus spending.
Actually, more than a quarter of all stimulus dollars went for tax
relief for workers.
Faulted Obama for failing to deliver a 2008 campaign promise to keep
a Wisconsin plant open. It closed less than a month before Obama took
office.
Blamed Obama for the loss of a AAA credit rating for the U.S.
Actually, Standard & Poor’s blamed the downgrade on the
uncompromising stands of both Republicans and Democrats. . . "
Of course the other side takes advantage of the 'spin' quite frequently as well. When will it end?
Why is it that, in the interest of one's self, it is so easy to be impatient, rude and inconsiderate towards one(s) that you love the most? It's just not right. I hope I can stop myself from being that way the NEXT time it occurs.
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