The American Spectator

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Ben Quells Media Riot

9.13.05 @ 12:01AM

MEDIA MAWLERS
Re: Ben Stein's More on Katrina:

Perhaps George W. Bush realizes that you can't win with the media and just goes on being a good and honest man. Perhaps we all should.
-- Bruce W. Peek

It's like you opened my mind and read the exact words that were in it.

Mr. Stein, just realize who you're asking those questions to: the same people that blame Bush for terrorism and 9/11 rather than al Qaeda, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. They say we are ignorant and arrogant for defending ourselves against those that wouldn't think twice before wiping us off the planet! If anyone is ignorant, it is they who believe in junk science and they who believe in a propaganda driven by the media that Islam is "a religion of peace." These are the same people, who in my local university compared Ariel Sharon to Adolf Hitler simply for daring to retaliate against terrorists.

For these people, all that is ill in the world is the fault of one man, George W. Bush, because he supposedly stole two elections and he refuses to act like the Europeans who are nothing more than modern day Neville Chamberlains.

I was a harsh critic of President Clinton when I was in school, but I never criticized him for deploying troops against dictatorships (even in favor of Muslims), and I never criticized him for natural disasters. How can anyone criticize someone like that for a natural disaster? They can, because the media has successfully whipped them into a hysterical frenzy. The way people have responded to this incident frightens me. Half the people of this country have no resolve -- they only want someone to blame.
-- Josh McCracken
Dallas, Georgia

I would appreciate it if you and Ben Stein would start a campaign to charge the mayor and other New Orleans city officials and the governor of that state with MASS MURDER for not carrying out their evacuation plans. They left their jobs and violated their own contracts. They ought to be placed on trial for the deaths of all these people and for the murder of a city.

Also, I request that you point out that this scene was caused by SOCIALISM and not free enterprise. This proves that SOCIALISM does not work in a free society like ours. It does not work in any country anyhow.

You would do the country and our citizens a great service by introducing these ideas over and over until the media catches it. Might even charge them with murder also for not keeping the pledge of a good journalist for failure to scare the people and government into evacuation as the plans for New Orleans called for to do.
-- Delbert

Thankfully, with only 200 dead in New Orleans, the untold story is that almost as many died in Mississippi and Alabama, states the MSM all but ignored. I guess the "visuals" were not as compelling as the flooded streets of New Orleans complete with those poor souls walking to dry land. The primal screams of the media elites, i.e., Russert, Shep Smith, Juan Williams, et al., over the shortcomings of FEMA are a classic case of herd mentality coupled with just plain bad journalism. Will Russert apologize for hyping 10,000 DEAD, MINIMUM? I don't know, as I could not bear to watch him yesterday, but I suspect he did more of the same. Will Shep Smith admit to a bout of hysteria as he stuck his microphone in the faces of those same poor souls wading out of the flooded streets? All the while Shep appearing well-watered, well-fed, well-groomed and well-clothed. Or perhaps Mr. Drudge in hyping the 25,000 BODY BAGS ON ORDER. I think not, for as Mr. Stein correctly perceives, the MSM is in full riot mode, completely oblivious to their own pitiful conduct as well as to relevant facts contrary to the settled theme. Mr. Stein hints at this point when he suggests a review of other relief efforts in the recent past for some historical perspective.

As the media lemmings continue to race over the edge with their sidekicks in the (loyal opposition) Democrat Party in tow, a question still bothers me. I know this is heresy but frankly, as far as I am able to discern, the only real "catastrophic failure" was of the levees. As pitiful as the performance by the first responders (i.e. the mayor & governor) was in not evacuating more people sooner, what I saw still did not rise to the level of Juan Williams's cry of, "worse than a 3rd world country." Speaking of Mr. Williams, Fox produced a real heated exchange between Hume and Williams, complete with Juan's personal jab that "Brit was out of touch," as Hume valiantly tried to talk some sense into wailing Juan.

The final observation in this tawdry tale was that of the political hacks within the Democrat party. I really tried not to watch the Sunday shows, but while channel surfing, I managed to catch a snippet of Mr. Obama on ABC. Something to the effect of "racial element." That was all I needed to hear. ... The most surreal moment however, one that had me absolutely riveted was frankly also one of the most craven political performances ever by an American politician. And that is REALLY saying something. Sen. Landrieu's refusal to answer Chris Wallace's often asked question as to the mayor's failure to get those buses in use to transport people out of the city, was so laughable it was almost slap stick humor. Her rant that it was Bush's fault for his failure to fully fund mass transportation was that of a complete idiot. Hey Mary, was that Amtrak a local or an express that was going to get those people out of downtown? Landrieu's fierce protection of state & local officials is certainly understandable. After all, these same officials will be "assisting" Mary at the polls come re-election time. Well thanks Mr. Stein for doing us all a service. I for one can't wait to see the left's venom directed at you in tomorrow's mail. Brace yourself.
-- A. DiPentima

Hallelujah! Ben Stein has hit the nail on the head. The liberal press has little heart for the suffering of people. They just moan and gripe because they did not have the power to keep George Bush out of the presidency. They use every opportunity to whip up bogus anger and venom against the conservative movement. They wouldn't know decency if it bit them on the rear. This craven lust for power is causing the liberal press to break all rules of good, objective truth-telling journalism. When I was in school, they made a big deal of examples of slanted journalism. No more, I guess. The liberal press has a huge collective bloated ego, one that has been trounced twice. Most Americans want to go back to a value-based way of life, a truth-telling way of life. I frankly am sick of the petty, hate-filled, attitude of these lunkhead liberals.
-- Pat Jones
Farmington, New Mexico

Please tell Ben and anyone who cares that I thank him for this much-needed article. He said things that I've been wishing, (with a knot in my gut), that someone would have said by now. Not even the pundits who usually support him are willing to stick their neck out in this "open season" on our President. Hopefully, now that he has made the first move, others will follow.

This is truly about the hatred for one man. If they don't stop, I fear the worst for our great nation.

Letter to the Editor

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