USA Today‘s Susan Page
“Democrats on one side, Republicans on the other” is the way conventional Beltway reporters seem to see the world–and it’s reflected in their reporting on political events.
On the front page of USA Today (6/7/13), Susan Page has a piece wondering if the unfolding scandals surrounding the White House and surveillance will threaten the president’s “agenda.” That’s a strange concern for the moment, but we’ll put that aside. The most unusual part of the piece is the very premise: That Obama’s actions have verified Republican criticisms of his presidency. As Page puts it, the current story
is especially problematic for Obama because it stokes controversies he already was struggling to contain and reinforces criticism that has dogged him from the start.
Republicans have long depicted Obama as an advocate of a big, dangerous and overreaching government, back to the federal bailout of the auto industry he undertook during the financial crisis that greeted his first inauguration. That has been their fundamental philosophical objection to his signature Affordable Care Act, now just months away from implementation of its major provisions.
So Obama is a “big government” something-or-other, which is what Republicans most certainly are not. Thus, big government spying shows that Obama is just as Republicans have “long depicted” him.
The Washington Post‘s Karen Tumulty recently made the same argument (FAIR Blog, 5/17/13)–Beltway scandals are scandals because they reinforce partisan criticism. It’s an illogical jump even when it comes to most Republican criticism of Obama, like the argument that the new healthcare law is a Big Government power grab. Of course accusations that come from partisan critics reinforce partisan criticism–how could they not?
But this line of argument makes even less sense in the case of surveillance, as Page acknowledges deep within the article: “To be sure, Obama didn’t launch the data-mining initiatives, which were started during the Bush administration.” So Republicans, if we’re to buy the premise here, are mad about Obama carrying out a policy begun under a Republican administration.
The real story, on a political level, is one of continuity: The elites in both parties basically agree on the policy in question, which is why there are not all that many politicians of either party speaking out forcefully right now in criticizing the administration’s policies. But that’s not the way most political journalists are trained to look at the world.
Duopolies
And double vision
It is time to arrest this president and send a posse after the one before him. I wonder just what will it take for the liberals to realize that Obama is a fascist and that he has solidified the police state that Bush initiated? Obama is not what the liberals think he is. If anyone doubts what I am saying then look just look at how he treated OWS.
Is this new Republican / Democrat dance going to be termed the Goose step?
It is not ‘what they are trained to do’, it is what they are “Paid” to do; do not allow honest discussion, do no allow ‘truth’ unless it can be packaged as ‘opinion’, and above all, do not allow people to ‘agree’ with one another, otherwise they will begin to realize who really is screwing them; Hint the Corporations Own the Media.
Lets get this strait ,and put aside these partisan arguments.If Bush did this stuff it was wrong.Clinton,Carter,Reagan or Washington.All would be wrong.This is why the tea party is so important.Because we don’t give a damn if you are a republican or a DEM.We would want to ride either of you out of Washington on a rail, for the shenanigans that have been going on.So saying “but Bush did it too “means nothing to us.
I’m not going to hold my breath waiting for the Tea Baggers to come out and condemn Obama for this–with the exception of Rand Paul, I’d be surprised if any of them get upset over this. (Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin?) Hell, they like it. What’s disturbing is the consensus on the spying, from the authoritarian harridan Diane Feinstein to the dreadful imbecile Saxby Chambliss (“We’re only spying on the bad guys”) to Harry Reid (“Relax, everybody–this has been going on for a while”). I’ll wait and see on this–there’s going to be more stuff coming out, and it’s far worse than one might imagine. But there’s no question that this is going to be Obama’s nightmare legacy, the great scholar apparently unable or unwilling to read the Constitution he’s supposed to uphold.
I heard the CBS radio report on the latest revelation by Glen Greenwald of Obama’s list of cyber attack targets and the only substance of the story was the search for the source of the leak- not a word about why the US is making plans for cyber attack while criticizing and accusing China of engaging in the same behavior. All mainstream news cares about is the illegality of the leak; the disturbing substance of what has been revealed is ignored, whether it’s surveillance of every phone call and email made by every person in America or US preparations for cyber attack on other countries. I’d like to know who is doing the leaking, too but first I want to understand the substance of what the leaker has revealed.
Tim I swear Im wondering why you are not in the tea party by some of your comments lately(by the way I meant that as a compliment)I hope you dont think Michelle Bachman or Sarah Palin or famous religious folks represent the tea party.That is politics of personality.And we in the tea party have no such alliances.Anymore than we Americans need Obama to represent the constitution in this time in history.The constitution stands without the need for the personality ,or flavor of the moment.If Bush has trampled(and he did) on the constitution, or laws of this land- we stand against him.And the same for Obama.The tea Party came together to stop what we consider governmental over taxation without proper representation.Because we see the massive growth of the tyranny of government as the ultimate erosion of those rights to honest representation.Tyranny big and small is what we are dealing with today.You will see that as the pendulum swings and more Rs win that we will hold them to the same level of scrutiny that we do the current renters of the white house. I still detest you using the term tea Baggers as an affront to those who stand for the constitution.Just as much as I heard a white suprem member in washington call the Dem party “The nigger hebe party”.At least he has an excuse.An IQ that probably is in the chimp category.Your a smart guy.And seem to in your heart care about people.Let raise the discourse.
@m.e.: I’m not in the Tea “Party” (the Republican Party) because I’m not a moron, or a Republican. Believe me, while you fools are sweating it out over the big bad government, the Corporate World is gonna go through you like a scythe through a canebrake.. It’s the private corporate world (like Booz Allen Hamilton–ring a bell?) that operates without scrutiny, without controls. We only have one government, which we can ultimately control. You Baggers are clueless about these things. your ignorance astounds me. It’s your fatal blind spot, like the Democrats and their faultless love for the President. The both of you are like two peas in the same rancid pod. Good luck to you, and may your God go with you.
You know I’m just kinda kiddin’ around a little bit, right? Sorta. Your comparison to the use of “Tea Baggers” and the vile epithets you used is revolting, and utterly wrong in it’s context. You’ve done this before, and you should know better. Get over your misplaced sensitivities, and stop defending self-aggrandizing liars and dummies like Glenn Beck.
Well Tim I can understand your feeling that Corporations…. or what ever imagined shadowy organization are the actual controllers of the way the world spins.As long as you also believe that their are no “controls” on these corporations.But that just is not true.The private insurance industry was the big bad guy.But now they are on their way out.While it is true the government does not like to kill the golden goose(cigarette industry)they can tax them into oblivion with the snap of their fingers.The biggest corporation is the US government.You imply we have control because we can vote.Well we voted in Obama.He did not have one qualification.He overhauled every ones healthcare.Promised a cost.It has more than doubled.Premiums up 150%.No body moves to scream at the top of their lungs foul.Sheeple.And those who worry about this imposed tyranny against our founding principles.Against our very soul(the constitution) are morons?You worry too much about corporations and too little about a tyranical gov.I ask you to point to people.You cant.I can.Obama and his administration..,and a ton of Republicans.Want names?Your lack of understanding of the tea party is monumental.Republicans?Have you seen how they run from us almost as fast as the Dems?Any Dem or Republican that adheres to the constitution…… IS tea party.And they are few and far between.So you keep implying illuminati,and I will keep giving you names,dates,places.I at least know as a socialist why you are really against us.Because as a socialist you can only be……. diametrically opposed to the constitution(based on individual freedoms AND responsibilities).I wish you would come out and admit that.You are like this president taking a phony stance on this sight…until you do admit that.