Boston Globe Columnist Compares Michelle Bachmann to Thomas Jefferson, Washington Post Cozies to Republicans, Social Welfare Orgs Attack Dems. . .

And Other News That Should be Noted

Conservative Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby wrote about migraine headaches.  They have been in the news recently because it was revealed that Presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann (R, Mn) suffers



Mr. Jacoby



from them and takes medication to treat the symptoms.  Mr. Jacoby wrote a very acceptable column explaining migraines, some health history of Presidents and a defense of Ms. Bachmann against anonymous media rumormongering about her health.  There is no disagreement here.

The complaint against Mr. Jacoby, his implied comparison between Ms. Bachmann and Thomas Jefferson in the headline A president with migraines? Ask Thomas Jefferson.  Mr. Jacoby is certainly the first writer to ever compare Ms. Bachmann to Thomas Jefferson, and hopefully the last.  If anyone wants to compare Ms. Bachmann to Jefferson, the comparison should be to George Jefferson, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson City, Jefferson Davis, any Jefferson but Thomas.

The Washington Post is a Newspaper that used to be mentioned in the same category as the great newspapers of the U. S.  Now it looks like just a another establishment organization trying to get on the Conservative/Republican bandwagon. 

Looking at the POLITICS Section of the Sunday Post one sees stories on the (1) GOP Congressional Leadership, (2) the reactions of Republican voters in Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s Congressional District to his positions (apparently as far as the Post is concerned there are no Democrats in the District), (3) an in-depth story on Mitt Romney’s Mexican family members, (4) George Will’s column as cheerleader for Republicans, (5) an article on Republican Presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman now attacking Mr. Obama, and (6) an opinion piece criticizing Mr. Obama as not being Franklin Roosevelt.

If the goal of the Post management is to keep having those invitations for nice country club type meetings and dinners with Republicans, then the plan is working nicely.  If the goal is quality journalism, not so much.

Remember all that news about how unlimited money in campaigns would be a great boon for Republicans and Conservatives.  Well Politico reports that

avowedly conservative groups and candidates are spending between five and 10 times more than their liberal counterparts on TV and radio advertising related to the debate over debt ceiling negotiations.

and who is doing the spending?

Lapping the field in debt-related ad spending is Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies (or Crossroads GPS, for short), the non-profit group conceived last year by Karl Rove, which is spending a total of $20 million in July and August on hard-hitting ads attacking Democrats on the debt, urging viewers to “take away Obama’s blank check,” and hitting a range of congressional Democrats it considers vulnerable

Remember though, groups like Mr. Rove’s are not political, and it is just pure coincidence that all of their ads target Democrats. They are organized under Section 501 (c) (4) which allows them to be called non-profit Social Welfare Organizations and they do not have to disclose their donors.

Of course, the social welfare they are supporting is social welfare for billionaires and multi-millionaires, and the only grassroots in the organization of Mr. Rove is the grass that grows on the lawns of the exclusive clubs of the very rich.  But this is America, and the poor, the sick, the elderly and the students can have their own 501 (c) (4) organization to spend millions on their agenda also.

 

One reason why the debt ceiling negotiations are so difficult is because some of the players in the drama are not really up to speed on the core concepts here.  In this list is apparently Rep. Tom Price, (R, Ga) who said

the United States won't default on its debts, even if a deal isn't reached to raise the government's borrowing limit by the Treasury's Aug. 2 deadline. .  .

Default means that you don't pay your creditors, and that will not happen. . .

"The question is what doesn't get paid,

See Mr. Price, if the question is “what doesn’t get paid”,  then that means someone gets defaulted on.  Here’s a suggestion, why not have the U. S. government default on your paycheck, would that be ok? 

Works for us.