November 6th, 2010
My Dear America:
"It's All Over Now" is a Rolling Stones Song that seems to be appropriate to sing or listen to at this very low point, just a few days past the Republican Tsunami that washed over our Country this past Tuesday.
The Truth is, however, that although Democrats feel terrible right now perhaps this is the wake up call that we all needed to recognize that during the last two years while we have been complacent and uninvolved in the goings on in Washington, those Wackos and Wierdo's who inhabit Fox News and every State in the Union were busy as hell promoting their agenda, which was to kill the Obama and Democratic Agenda.
In Washington, the Congress under the leadership of John Boner and Mitch McConnell certainly did their part to kill every positive measure that the Democrats and, in particular, Barack Obama, came up with and looking back on things one would have to say they accomplished their tasks quite effectively.
In fact, Congress between 2008 and 2010 became an Inert, Do Nothing Body which one would have thought would have been punished in this past election
by throwing the Republicans, who were responsible for the inaction out on their collective rear ends.
One would have thought wrong.
Instead of the American Public recognizing the insanity of the Republican effort to claw their way back to the Bush or Reagan Eras where the Corporation was King and the little guy or the unemployed girl were fed table scraps from the Wealthy Corporate Banquet Table, The American Public rewarded Republicans.
If there is anyone out there who understands how or why Regular Decent Americans could be turned into Voters who Vote Republican in this two year period in which Republicans did not do anything for them other than try to smother every good idea which the Democrats Came up with, I would love to hear or see the explanation.
It is beyond me to understand what Americans were thinking when they voted for a party that had no use for them. Why in the Hell did they vote against their own interest.
On this day, one day after MSNBC Countdown host, Keith Olbermann, was taken off the air by NBC for violating NBC's policy by donating to Democratic Candidates, we must take a long, hard look at Fox News. Fox "Fair and balanced" News is nothing close to Fair and Balanced.
It is, and has been for some time, a propoganda tool for the Republican Party with not one of its Anchors or Analysts, with the possible exception of Juan Williams and occasionally Geraldo Rivera, fair and balanced. Fox lies and subverts the truth every day it broadcasts and still presents itself as a legitimate News Network.
Freedom of the Press certainly does have it's drawbacks. But what can we do about Fox. About the only thing we could do up to now is watch some other network with Anchor's willing to tell the truth and straighten out many of Fox's lies and half truths. Keith Olbermann, along with Rachel Maddow was one of those people willing to stand up to Fox. Now he is suspended indefinitely. Could Keith's Friend and MSNBC host, Rachel Maddow, be next to go. I hope not but new Corporate people are now running NBC and Keith Olbermann's "suspension" is not a good sign to me.
While Tuesday's bloodbath was a terrible blow to Democrats I think we have to give credit where credit is due. During the past two years, despite his sometimes maddening attempts to work positively with Republicans, Barack Obama tried his best to make good on his promises to you, America.
One of the strangest things to me looking back over the past two years was the incredibly transparent Republican obstruction of efforts to pass Health Care Legislation. In the end, at Republican insistence, there was no "Public Option" and the plan was so watered down that it was still a bonanza for Health Care Corporations but it still wasn't weak enough for Republicans not to run against it this past year and demonize it along with Speaker of The House, Nancy Pelosi.
Speaking of Nancy Pelosi, what about the influence of the Republican controlled Supreme Court's "Citizen's United" decision which opened the financial flood gates to unlimited money to be poured into Republican Campaign Coffers this year to pay for the seemingly unending negative ads that promoted lies, half truths and trash talk about Democrats all over the country. Yes the American People should have been able to see through this mountain of obvious garbage but they didn't, not this time.
So we have Nancy Pelosi, a truly outstanding American Woman and a truly outstanding Speaker of the House, villified throughout the 2010 Campaign along with those other Democratic Outlaws, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and to a lesser extent, Bill Clinton, throughout the race.
I must say I am proud of Barack Obama, Joe Biden and especially Bill Clinton for doing all they did to promote Democrats and try their best to be a Truth Squad as they worked to help Democratic Candidates throughout the County.
I salute them and I especially Salute Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and other Democratic House leaders who I feel did their jobs as well as could be expected during the Republican Right Wing Obstruction in Congress for two years.
I also applaud Barack Obama and Joe Biden for doing their jobs well and putting the needs of the Country First.
Do we want a Revolution.
Yes, We need one.
But not one in which we are using guns to get our way.
I believe that somewhere out there are the same people who voted Democrats in in 2008. We need to find them, connect with them and begin our Revolution today to take back our Country in 2012.
It is certainly going to be an unbearable couple of years but as they always do they will pass very quickly. I don't think that President Obama will roll over and play dead. He will continue to show us that he cares and that he wants us to progress.
He can help us and I think he will help us take back the House, Keep the Senate and Keep the White House in 2012. But we must begin now. We can certainly lick our collective wounds but after we do that we need to reorganize and like the Tea Party, get back to Move On and other Democratic leaning organization's like the Democratic Party in every State, County, Town and District in the Country. Lets start working on getting good candidates like we had in Pennsylvania in Joe Sestak who came within two percentage points of beating Pat Toomey for Senate.
We can, should and I think will learn a difficult lesson from this Election and that is work hard and take nothing for granted. Get involved in Democratic Party Politics wherever you are. Run for Office. Recruit others to run for office.
Get involved.
Lets not ever have a bloodbath like this happen again to Democrats in our country.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Recent Public Opinion Polls Present the Possibility of a November Surprise in Pennsylvania
Sunday, October 24th, 2010
My Dear America:
A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Republican Rout in Pennsylvania.
People started paying attention this month to what both the Republican and Democratic Candidates were stating in their Ads and in their numerous Debates.
Clearly many Pennsylvanians did not like what they heard since the rather comfortable leads of Tom Corbett (Republican) over Dan Onorato (Democrat) for Governor (over 15 points at one time) and the 9 point lead that Pat Toomey (Republican) had built up over his opponent, Joe Sestak (Democrat) have sunk to within a few percentage points in the polls.
I have to admit that both Corbett and Toomey seem to be a little more comfortable looking on Television than their Democratic Opponents. They are both Smooth Republican Operators who know how to play to the cameras and also know how to play down their Extreme Positions when the TV Cameras are rolling.
Corbett seems to like to play the role of a kindly Gray Haired Grandfather proudly stating that he will cut taxes and cut spending if it kills him, seeming not to care if it kills the state of Pennsylvania, as well.
The Real Tom Corbett is not so kindly. He has been known to sue to try to find out who his Social Network Critics are, unsuccessfully, Thank God, So Far.
He has also spent a fortune to root out what he calls corruption in the Pennsylvania Legislature, namely legislators using public funding to pay their staffers to work on their campaigns. While it is true that this is against the law in Pennsylvania, It is hard to believe that only Democrats have been guilty of this dastardly crime. But surprisingly Corbett only seemed to investigate and prosecute Democrats for this crime.
I have two questions for Corbett.
ONE: Why did he investigate and Prosecute only Democrats?
AND
TWO: Couldn't the Attorney General of Pennsylvania spend his Offices Money and the Taxpayers Money more wisely by going after real Criminals?
Corbett's Opponent, Dan Onorato, is a well connected Western Pennsylvania Democrat with a good record that has been twisted badly by Corbett and his Republican backers. Onorato in debates seems to have been able to finally begin setting the record straight about who in the Governor's Race is and who is not beholding to big business and especially companies that are looting the Marcellus Shale areas with no payback to the state other than through the Campaign Coffers of Tom Corbett.
In the United States Senator's Race Pat Toomey is a former 15th District Congressman who has the slick personality of a Former Wall Street Derivatives Huckster who has worked in China and seems to be more concerned about China's Economic Problems than those of America. Toomey is an expert BS Artist and that had been working for him when not a lot of Pennsylvanians were paying attention but in the recent debates Sestak's halting and emotional speech patterns have been less slick than Toomeys but more honest and realistic than his opponent whose dishonest House of Cards seems to be crumbling in the final days of the Campaign.
After leaving Congress Toomey ran the Right Wing Fringe Group, "The Club For (Republican Millionaires) Growth" and scared Republican Senator, Arlen Specter, into becoming a Democrat rather than face Toomey in the Republican Primary. Specter also started with a huge polling lead over his opponent, Joe Sestak, in the Democratic Primary. No one gave Sestak much of a chance to beat Specter, but he did. As the Pennsylvania November Election gets closer Joe Sestak and Pat Toomey are a hairs breath away from one another in the polls and so are Corbett and Onorato.
As a Famous Baseball Manager once said.
"It Ain't Over Til its Over"
And In Pennsylvania
"It Ain't Over Yet".
My Dear America:
A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Republican Rout in Pennsylvania.
People started paying attention this month to what both the Republican and Democratic Candidates were stating in their Ads and in their numerous Debates.
Clearly many Pennsylvanians did not like what they heard since the rather comfortable leads of Tom Corbett (Republican) over Dan Onorato (Democrat) for Governor (over 15 points at one time) and the 9 point lead that Pat Toomey (Republican) had built up over his opponent, Joe Sestak (Democrat) have sunk to within a few percentage points in the polls.
I have to admit that both Corbett and Toomey seem to be a little more comfortable looking on Television than their Democratic Opponents. They are both Smooth Republican Operators who know how to play to the cameras and also know how to play down their Extreme Positions when the TV Cameras are rolling.
Corbett seems to like to play the role of a kindly Gray Haired Grandfather proudly stating that he will cut taxes and cut spending if it kills him, seeming not to care if it kills the state of Pennsylvania, as well.
The Real Tom Corbett is not so kindly. He has been known to sue to try to find out who his Social Network Critics are, unsuccessfully, Thank God, So Far.
He has also spent a fortune to root out what he calls corruption in the Pennsylvania Legislature, namely legislators using public funding to pay their staffers to work on their campaigns. While it is true that this is against the law in Pennsylvania, It is hard to believe that only Democrats have been guilty of this dastardly crime. But surprisingly Corbett only seemed to investigate and prosecute Democrats for this crime.
I have two questions for Corbett.
ONE: Why did he investigate and Prosecute only Democrats?
AND
TWO: Couldn't the Attorney General of Pennsylvania spend his Offices Money and the Taxpayers Money more wisely by going after real Criminals?
Corbett's Opponent, Dan Onorato, is a well connected Western Pennsylvania Democrat with a good record that has been twisted badly by Corbett and his Republican backers. Onorato in debates seems to have been able to finally begin setting the record straight about who in the Governor's Race is and who is not beholding to big business and especially companies that are looting the Marcellus Shale areas with no payback to the state other than through the Campaign Coffers of Tom Corbett.
In the United States Senator's Race Pat Toomey is a former 15th District Congressman who has the slick personality of a Former Wall Street Derivatives Huckster who has worked in China and seems to be more concerned about China's Economic Problems than those of America. Toomey is an expert BS Artist and that had been working for him when not a lot of Pennsylvanians were paying attention but in the recent debates Sestak's halting and emotional speech patterns have been less slick than Toomeys but more honest and realistic than his opponent whose dishonest House of Cards seems to be crumbling in the final days of the Campaign.
After leaving Congress Toomey ran the Right Wing Fringe Group, "The Club For (Republican Millionaires) Growth" and scared Republican Senator, Arlen Specter, into becoming a Democrat rather than face Toomey in the Republican Primary. Specter also started with a huge polling lead over his opponent, Joe Sestak, in the Democratic Primary. No one gave Sestak much of a chance to beat Specter, but he did. As the Pennsylvania November Election gets closer Joe Sestak and Pat Toomey are a hairs breath away from one another in the polls and so are Corbett and Onorato.
As a Famous Baseball Manager once said.
"It Ain't Over Til its Over"
And In Pennsylvania
"It Ain't Over Yet".
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Welcome To Bizarro America
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
My Dear America:
I remember a TV Show (I Think it was Saturday Night Live but I'm not sure) having a continuing skit in which there was a place called "Bizarro World."
Bizarro World was a world that didn't make sense. It was a world in which opposites meant the opposite of what we expected and were used to in our world.
For instance in our world Black was Black and White was White, Good was Good and Bad was Bad.
Things made sense in our world.
But in Bizarro World things did not make sense. Everything was opposite of our world in Bizarro World.
For instance in Bizarro World White was Black and Black was White and Good Was Bad and Bad was Good.
Now, however, after all these years we are finding out that Bizarro World is not all that Bizarre.
We are living today in you, America, and you have become, in my estimation Bizarro World in the USA. I hate to say it. Believe me I hate to say it but I must say it.
Why are you, America, Bizarro World. Let me discuss that with you.
In America things haven't always made sense, take Watergate, for instance. But for the most part, when it came to Politics you or I could look at a Candidate and pretty much figure out where they stood. And when it came time to make a decision it might not be easy to figure out who was best and who was not but with a little bit of effort you could do it and so could others.
The truth is that I still can pretty much figure out who I want to vote for and decide for what I feel are good reasons. The problem is that now that we are living in Bizarro World my countrymen and women don't seem to have the same capabilities as I do. Or is it me thats Bizarre. Sometimes I don't know.
The bottom line is, America, what in the hell is going on with you. You are either stupid or I am. I can't figure out which of us is out of touch with reality.
For instance, what is so hard about understanding the fact that Republicans throughout the past year and a half have done Nothing to advance our Country but here, today, in Bizarro World instead of people looking at that almost Criminal Record of Republican Obstruction and lies in Washington and elsewhere, according to nearly all of the polls Republicans, or worse Tea Party Candidates, are primed to win statewide and federal races all over your country.
I don't understand it. What is going on here. Do people not have memories. Have their brains been erased. Why can't they recall the depths to which our country had sunk prior to the election of Barack Obama in 2008 and his Inauguration in 2009. Barack brought us Hope back then and Optimism for the future.
But after the Bush Administration plundered our banks, our spirits and our good name aound the world, Obama was handed a country that was a disaster and was headed toward a depression. Republicans have fought him tooth and nail throughout his short lived Administration as he struggled to prop up Wall Street, the American Automotive Industry and finally after nearly a century of trying brought us at least a little bit of Health Care relief. Obama has struggled in Bizarro World in every effort to improve our country and nearly all legitimate economists indicate that although we are still struggling with our economy that TARP and the Stimulus have, at least temporarily staved off a Depression.
Unfortunately, however, here in Bizarro World where the Republicans seem to be lined up to take back the US House and Senate we are up the proverbial creek without much of a paddle left.
In my out of the mainstream view of things I think that Barack Obama and his Democratic Congressional Cohorts have done a good job under difficult circumstances trying to move important legislation forward in a House and Senate in which Republicans under the Bizarro eyes of Mitch McConnell and John Boner have had nothing positive to contribute to you, America, and have remained opposed to anything constructive put forth by the Democrats.
I hope that Democrats wake up soon enough to prevent the disaster that would be the Republicans retaking of your country. If the Republicans are successful in November they will certainly push us back in the ditch that Barack Obama has halfway pulled us out of here in Bizarro World.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
My Dear America:
I remember a TV Show (I Think it was Saturday Night Live but I'm not sure) having a continuing skit in which there was a place called "Bizarro World."
Bizarro World was a world that didn't make sense. It was a world in which opposites meant the opposite of what we expected and were used to in our world.
For instance in our world Black was Black and White was White, Good was Good and Bad was Bad.
Things made sense in our world.
But in Bizarro World things did not make sense. Everything was opposite of our world in Bizarro World.
For instance in Bizarro World White was Black and Black was White and Good Was Bad and Bad was Good.
Now, however, after all these years we are finding out that Bizarro World is not all that Bizarre.
We are living today in you, America, and you have become, in my estimation Bizarro World in the USA. I hate to say it. Believe me I hate to say it but I must say it.
Why are you, America, Bizarro World. Let me discuss that with you.
In America things haven't always made sense, take Watergate, for instance. But for the most part, when it came to Politics you or I could look at a Candidate and pretty much figure out where they stood. And when it came time to make a decision it might not be easy to figure out who was best and who was not but with a little bit of effort you could do it and so could others.
The truth is that I still can pretty much figure out who I want to vote for and decide for what I feel are good reasons. The problem is that now that we are living in Bizarro World my countrymen and women don't seem to have the same capabilities as I do. Or is it me thats Bizarre. Sometimes I don't know.
The bottom line is, America, what in the hell is going on with you. You are either stupid or I am. I can't figure out which of us is out of touch with reality.
For instance, what is so hard about understanding the fact that Republicans throughout the past year and a half have done Nothing to advance our Country but here, today, in Bizarro World instead of people looking at that almost Criminal Record of Republican Obstruction and lies in Washington and elsewhere, according to nearly all of the polls Republicans, or worse Tea Party Candidates, are primed to win statewide and federal races all over your country.
I don't understand it. What is going on here. Do people not have memories. Have their brains been erased. Why can't they recall the depths to which our country had sunk prior to the election of Barack Obama in 2008 and his Inauguration in 2009. Barack brought us Hope back then and Optimism for the future.
But after the Bush Administration plundered our banks, our spirits and our good name aound the world, Obama was handed a country that was a disaster and was headed toward a depression. Republicans have fought him tooth and nail throughout his short lived Administration as he struggled to prop up Wall Street, the American Automotive Industry and finally after nearly a century of trying brought us at least a little bit of Health Care relief. Obama has struggled in Bizarro World in every effort to improve our country and nearly all legitimate economists indicate that although we are still struggling with our economy that TARP and the Stimulus have, at least temporarily staved off a Depression.
Unfortunately, however, here in Bizarro World where the Republicans seem to be lined up to take back the US House and Senate we are up the proverbial creek without much of a paddle left.
In my out of the mainstream view of things I think that Barack Obama and his Democratic Congressional Cohorts have done a good job under difficult circumstances trying to move important legislation forward in a House and Senate in which Republicans under the Bizarro eyes of Mitch McConnell and John Boner have had nothing positive to contribute to you, America, and have remained opposed to anything constructive put forth by the Democrats.
I hope that Democrats wake up soon enough to prevent the disaster that would be the Republicans retaking of your country. If the Republicans are successful in November they will certainly push us back in the ditch that Barack Obama has halfway pulled us out of here in Bizarro World.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Daniel Schorr - Farewell to a Fearless and Legendary Newsman
July 25th, 2010
My Dear America:
Daniel Schorr is dead and the news business has lost another legendary Newsman.
I don't exactly recall the circumstances of when I first saw Daniel Schorr presenting a story on CBS News with Walter Cronkite as he did for so many years. I do remember thinking, however, how in the world is this guy on a network newscast when he sounded like he had a speech impediment. He did not really have a speech impediment, of course. Its just that his laid back speech sound and his rather plain ordinary face did not match up with the booming authoritative voices and the pretty boy good looks of many other Television newscasters at the time.
Why was Dan Schorr on television with CBS? The answer was because he was one hell of a newsman and had been one at CBS since first getting picked by Edward R. Murrow to become one of his select few correspondents at CBS News.
CBS Newsman, Robert Schieffer, himself a standout in the field of Television Newsmen, gave Howard Kurtz of CNN and the Washington Post some of his memories of his colleague, Daniel Schorr, this morning. Schieffer recalled a time when Schorr was using a cane due to a leg injury or an operation or something and when attending a press opportunity on Capitol Hill used the cane as a weapon to clear a path for himself to get to the front of the press pack limping badly as he hurtled himself forward. Schieffer also recalled that Schorr, who was quite proud of his status as being close to the top of Richard Nixon's famed "Enemies List", found out that he was on the list on live television when having come up with the list he was reading the list and reporting on camera when he found his own name close to the top of the the notorious list. According to Schieffer he thought Dan Schorr would probably want his inclusion on the "Nixon Enemies List" to be on his gravestone.
There was a good reason that Daniel Schorr was on the "Nixon Enemies List". Schorr was a probing and fearless White House Reporter who was constantly trying to find the leaks in the Nixon Administration's Ship of State and when he found them he was not satisfied just to report them. He constantly wanted to find more out about the dark dealings of the Nixon Administration and did so consistently. Although Daniel Schorr did not break many of the stories on Watergate that eventually sunk the Nixon Administration, he and CBS News were for a long period of time the only national Television News Organization that reported those stories to the National Television Audience. In the research I did for my book on Watergate, "Letters To A Lost Nation: A Watergate Chronicle" I list only Daniel Schorr and Walter Cronkite of CBS and Carl Stern of NBC as the only Network Reporters who regularly contributed Watergate stories to Network news prior to the Senate Watergate Hearings.
Schiedffer and Kurtz also talked about the fact that Daniel Schorr not only stood up to politicians like Nixon in the White House but also to his bosses at CBS News, as well. He left CBS News due to a heated dispute about reports he did on the CIA that CBS refused to air. He moved on to CNN where he only agreed to take a job as Correspondent if Ted Turner and company promised him complete autonomy and independence and freedom from interference.
Schorr eventually had problems with the CNN brass also and left CNN ending up on NPR Radio for the last 25, or so, years of his life. When he died this week he was 93 years old and had given his last NPR News Analysis only a couple of weeks before his passing.
Dan died with his family beside him and it is hoped that the integrity that he showed throughout his career will somehow be emulated by others in later years in what will be left of the News Business.
He was clearly one of the last surviving members of a dying breed of Courageous and Legendary Reporters and I will personally miss his compelling News Analysis Reports on NPR.
He was an example in so many ways of what a Reporter should and could be in America and he will be missed terribly by NPR News Junkies like me.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
My Dear America:
Daniel Schorr is dead and the news business has lost another legendary Newsman.
I don't exactly recall the circumstances of when I first saw Daniel Schorr presenting a story on CBS News with Walter Cronkite as he did for so many years. I do remember thinking, however, how in the world is this guy on a network newscast when he sounded like he had a speech impediment. He did not really have a speech impediment, of course. Its just that his laid back speech sound and his rather plain ordinary face did not match up with the booming authoritative voices and the pretty boy good looks of many other Television newscasters at the time.
Why was Dan Schorr on television with CBS? The answer was because he was one hell of a newsman and had been one at CBS since first getting picked by Edward R. Murrow to become one of his select few correspondents at CBS News.
CBS Newsman, Robert Schieffer, himself a standout in the field of Television Newsmen, gave Howard Kurtz of CNN and the Washington Post some of his memories of his colleague, Daniel Schorr, this morning. Schieffer recalled a time when Schorr was using a cane due to a leg injury or an operation or something and when attending a press opportunity on Capitol Hill used the cane as a weapon to clear a path for himself to get to the front of the press pack limping badly as he hurtled himself forward. Schieffer also recalled that Schorr, who was quite proud of his status as being close to the top of Richard Nixon's famed "Enemies List", found out that he was on the list on live television when having come up with the list he was reading the list and reporting on camera when he found his own name close to the top of the the notorious list. According to Schieffer he thought Dan Schorr would probably want his inclusion on the "Nixon Enemies List" to be on his gravestone.
There was a good reason that Daniel Schorr was on the "Nixon Enemies List". Schorr was a probing and fearless White House Reporter who was constantly trying to find the leaks in the Nixon Administration's Ship of State and when he found them he was not satisfied just to report them. He constantly wanted to find more out about the dark dealings of the Nixon Administration and did so consistently. Although Daniel Schorr did not break many of the stories on Watergate that eventually sunk the Nixon Administration, he and CBS News were for a long period of time the only national Television News Organization that reported those stories to the National Television Audience. In the research I did for my book on Watergate, "Letters To A Lost Nation: A Watergate Chronicle" I list only Daniel Schorr and Walter Cronkite of CBS and Carl Stern of NBC as the only Network Reporters who regularly contributed Watergate stories to Network news prior to the Senate Watergate Hearings.
Schiedffer and Kurtz also talked about the fact that Daniel Schorr not only stood up to politicians like Nixon in the White House but also to his bosses at CBS News, as well. He left CBS News due to a heated dispute about reports he did on the CIA that CBS refused to air. He moved on to CNN where he only agreed to take a job as Correspondent if Ted Turner and company promised him complete autonomy and independence and freedom from interference.
Schorr eventually had problems with the CNN brass also and left CNN ending up on NPR Radio for the last 25, or so, years of his life. When he died this week he was 93 years old and had given his last NPR News Analysis only a couple of weeks before his passing.
Dan died with his family beside him and it is hoped that the integrity that he showed throughout his career will somehow be emulated by others in later years in what will be left of the News Business.
He was clearly one of the last surviving members of a dying breed of Courageous and Legendary Reporters and I will personally miss his compelling News Analysis Reports on NPR.
He was an example in so many ways of what a Reporter should and could be in America and he will be missed terribly by NPR News Junkies like me.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Thursday, July 22, 2010
A Case of Mistaken Ideology - The Strange Misunderstanding about Shirley Sherrod
July 22nd, 2010
My Dear America:
It has been a half a week from Hell for former United States Department of Agriculture Administrator, Shirley Sherrod.
Recently the NAACP in a very almost cordial way requested that the Tea Party Movement lighten up on the Racist Rhetoric and Racially charged Signs that some super extremists in the movement have been presenting. In what I seem to feel is at least a showing of good faith the National Tea Party Movement apparently did pass the word to their members to lighten up on the blatant racism and even expelled one of their groups whose leader put a racially charged post on his blog after the word went out.
Apparently in reaction to the mild chastising of the Tea Party Movement by the NAACP a Conservative Blogger named Andrew Breitbart put on his Blog a video that apparently showed United States Department of Agriculture Official Shirley Sherrod talking at an NAACP Dinner about how 20 years ago she was put off by a white farmer acting superior to her while requesting her help in saving his farm. Shirley commented in her speech that she did enough but not as much as she could have for the white farmer but did put the farmer in touch with one of his "own kind" for further help.
Clearly the video when initially viewed was disturbing in its blatant reverse racism of this black woman toward that white man seeking her help. Apparently officials in the Obama Administration and in the Agriculture Department without checking out the facts with Shirley Sherrod immediately asked for her resignation, which she gave them, without being allowed to explain how, when and why she gave her speech and what the extenuating circumstances were behind the video.
The Administration, The Agricuture Department and the NAACP all condemned the video and the person in the video, Shirley Sherrod.
Now a few days later, after she was essentially fired by USDA, circumstances have changed. Shirley Sherrod is no longer the victimizer she appeared to be in the video because the video was a short clip from a 45 minute speech in which she was trying to show how her racial views had changed since that time many years ago when she was working with a Non Profit organization helping rural farmers.
Now, after the spectre of the video being shown on Glen Beck's show is past and most people have heard the other side of the story the entire incident has turned into an embarassment for Barack Obama and USDA head, Tom Vilsack. Shirley Sherrod will probably be offered another position with USDA although she has indicated that she might not be willing to come back to an organization that was so quick to make rash judgements about who she is and what type of person she is.
Understandably enough, the news media jumped on this story and joined in on the initial condemnation. I have to admit that when I first saw the video clip I was also shocked and apalled at what appeared to be Shirley Sherrod's racism.
Now I can only respect her for the magnificent way Shirley Sherrod has conducted herself in what must have been a living nightmare for her. Andrew Breitbart has semi apologized stating that he wasn't after Sherrod but was merely trying to tarnish the reputation of the NAACP. The NAACP has also apologized to Sherrod for their quick condemnation without finding out the facts.
CNN has shown interviews with individuals in the audience for Shirley's speech that night and they all found the speech one that was condemning racism in any form and was especially encouraging to young people. CNN has also broadcast interviews with the white farmer that Shirley talked about in the video and his wife. The farmer and his wife state that Shirley Sherrod was responsible for helping them save their farm and since the time that Shirley talks about in the video they have been good friends with Shirley Sherrod.
Clearly the Obama Administration and USDA jumped the gun on this situation and I hope that they learn some valuable lessons from this incident. First of all, a video clip taken out of context can be manipulated in many ways, as this one was. Secondly, cooperating with the Republican Party should not be given up on entirely but it certainly should be put into perspective. Bipartisanship certainly has a place in our government but when bipartisanship is only one sided it is not bipartisanship, it is foolishmness. And please don't be guided by what is going to be showing up on Glen Beck's show, or any Fox news show. Investigate what is really happening before you just chop off a hand that has been giving to you for a long time.
On the positive side, Barack Obama and Tom Vilsack could have written off Shirley Sherrod, and weathered the storm of criticism from all sides that this entire situation has produced and not backed down from their mistakes. They have not done that. They have looked at the facts and from their statements seem to have learned from their mistakes and seem to be doing what they can to help restore Shirley Sherrod's reputation.
Barack Obama, I believe, owes Shirley Sherrod and her husband, a founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinading Committee, at least a beer summit and quite possibly a dinner party with the Obamas and the Vilsacks.
I just hope that Shirley Sherrod's reputation is able to be restored and that she is able to go on with either USDA or elsewhere to continue to teach others the lessons of Tolerance and Respect.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
My Dear America:
It has been a half a week from Hell for former United States Department of Agriculture Administrator, Shirley Sherrod.
Recently the NAACP in a very almost cordial way requested that the Tea Party Movement lighten up on the Racist Rhetoric and Racially charged Signs that some super extremists in the movement have been presenting. In what I seem to feel is at least a showing of good faith the National Tea Party Movement apparently did pass the word to their members to lighten up on the blatant racism and even expelled one of their groups whose leader put a racially charged post on his blog after the word went out.
Apparently in reaction to the mild chastising of the Tea Party Movement by the NAACP a Conservative Blogger named Andrew Breitbart put on his Blog a video that apparently showed United States Department of Agriculture Official Shirley Sherrod talking at an NAACP Dinner about how 20 years ago she was put off by a white farmer acting superior to her while requesting her help in saving his farm. Shirley commented in her speech that she did enough but not as much as she could have for the white farmer but did put the farmer in touch with one of his "own kind" for further help.
Clearly the video when initially viewed was disturbing in its blatant reverse racism of this black woman toward that white man seeking her help. Apparently officials in the Obama Administration and in the Agriculture Department without checking out the facts with Shirley Sherrod immediately asked for her resignation, which she gave them, without being allowed to explain how, when and why she gave her speech and what the extenuating circumstances were behind the video.
The Administration, The Agricuture Department and the NAACP all condemned the video and the person in the video, Shirley Sherrod.
Now a few days later, after she was essentially fired by USDA, circumstances have changed. Shirley Sherrod is no longer the victimizer she appeared to be in the video because the video was a short clip from a 45 minute speech in which she was trying to show how her racial views had changed since that time many years ago when she was working with a Non Profit organization helping rural farmers.
Now, after the spectre of the video being shown on Glen Beck's show is past and most people have heard the other side of the story the entire incident has turned into an embarassment for Barack Obama and USDA head, Tom Vilsack. Shirley Sherrod will probably be offered another position with USDA although she has indicated that she might not be willing to come back to an organization that was so quick to make rash judgements about who she is and what type of person she is.
Understandably enough, the news media jumped on this story and joined in on the initial condemnation. I have to admit that when I first saw the video clip I was also shocked and apalled at what appeared to be Shirley Sherrod's racism.
Now I can only respect her for the magnificent way Shirley Sherrod has conducted herself in what must have been a living nightmare for her. Andrew Breitbart has semi apologized stating that he wasn't after Sherrod but was merely trying to tarnish the reputation of the NAACP. The NAACP has also apologized to Sherrod for their quick condemnation without finding out the facts.
CNN has shown interviews with individuals in the audience for Shirley's speech that night and they all found the speech one that was condemning racism in any form and was especially encouraging to young people. CNN has also broadcast interviews with the white farmer that Shirley talked about in the video and his wife. The farmer and his wife state that Shirley Sherrod was responsible for helping them save their farm and since the time that Shirley talks about in the video they have been good friends with Shirley Sherrod.
Clearly the Obama Administration and USDA jumped the gun on this situation and I hope that they learn some valuable lessons from this incident. First of all, a video clip taken out of context can be manipulated in many ways, as this one was. Secondly, cooperating with the Republican Party should not be given up on entirely but it certainly should be put into perspective. Bipartisanship certainly has a place in our government but when bipartisanship is only one sided it is not bipartisanship, it is foolishmness. And please don't be guided by what is going to be showing up on Glen Beck's show, or any Fox news show. Investigate what is really happening before you just chop off a hand that has been giving to you for a long time.
On the positive side, Barack Obama and Tom Vilsack could have written off Shirley Sherrod, and weathered the storm of criticism from all sides that this entire situation has produced and not backed down from their mistakes. They have not done that. They have looked at the facts and from their statements seem to have learned from their mistakes and seem to be doing what they can to help restore Shirley Sherrod's reputation.
Barack Obama, I believe, owes Shirley Sherrod and her husband, a founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinading Committee, at least a beer summit and quite possibly a dinner party with the Obamas and the Vilsacks.
I just hope that Shirley Sherrod's reputation is able to be restored and that she is able to go on with either USDA or elsewhere to continue to teach others the lessons of Tolerance and Respect.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy Birthday, America - You look Good for a Country that is 234 Years Old
July 4th, 2010
My Dear America:
Happy Birthday, America. I'll bet you are as surprised as anyone that you have made it this far, 234 Years old. I think that's how old you are, but who's counting.
I just saw an interesting series called "The Revolution" on the History Channel yesterday. Although there wasn't a whole lot of new information there were some interesting facts that I hadn't known about your birth.
For instance, France invested so much money, millions in their time and what would have been billions in our time, as well as provided troops and naval support. The end result of France helping U.S in our struggle was that their own financially strapped average citizens revolted themselves against their own Government once they saw what we had accomplished. Their bloodbath of a Revolution put into practice, however, a democracy which, like ours, still survives.
What is also interesting when you think about your birth is just how close we came to losing the Revolutionary War. And if we lost what would have happened to us. We would probably still be under the thumb of British Rule. Who knows. All of our Revolutionary heroes would probably have been hanged or shot and would never even have been mentioned in American History.
But you did make it, America, and you're still making it. You are struggling, yes, and you will undoutedly continue to struggle but even with the awful partisanship of Washington I know that we will get through our struggles just like we have done countless times before and we will hopefully survive many more centuries to come.
Yes, we will have problems but sooner or later our Democracy will produce solutions to those problems. I know it. We make a lot of noise in our Democracy but noise is better than silence that is forced and ominous. We have our share of gutless politicians at the present time who are either too timid to do what is right or too dumb to realize that they are destryong America by trying to destroy it's President.
Certainly our President has made and I'm sure will make some serious mistakes as all Presidents before him have but at least he is trying to do some things that need doing.
Republicans standing in the way of Health Care Reform, Economic Reform and Immigration Reform are, I am convinced, going to learn a serious political lesson in November of this year when voters who are fed up with Obstructionists in Congress vote them out. Republicans who continue to try to strangle the Government from doing anything are going to wake up on Election Day and find out that the electorate was not as stupid as they had counted on. I am sure of it.
As we celebrate your birthday today we look forward to that Day of Reckoning in November when the American People get out, go to their polls and "Vote the Rascals Out" one more time in America.
Once More, America, Happy Birthday To You.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
My Dear America:
Happy Birthday, America. I'll bet you are as surprised as anyone that you have made it this far, 234 Years old. I think that's how old you are, but who's counting.
I just saw an interesting series called "The Revolution" on the History Channel yesterday. Although there wasn't a whole lot of new information there were some interesting facts that I hadn't known about your birth.
For instance, France invested so much money, millions in their time and what would have been billions in our time, as well as provided troops and naval support. The end result of France helping U.S in our struggle was that their own financially strapped average citizens revolted themselves against their own Government once they saw what we had accomplished. Their bloodbath of a Revolution put into practice, however, a democracy which, like ours, still survives.
What is also interesting when you think about your birth is just how close we came to losing the Revolutionary War. And if we lost what would have happened to us. We would probably still be under the thumb of British Rule. Who knows. All of our Revolutionary heroes would probably have been hanged or shot and would never even have been mentioned in American History.
But you did make it, America, and you're still making it. You are struggling, yes, and you will undoutedly continue to struggle but even with the awful partisanship of Washington I know that we will get through our struggles just like we have done countless times before and we will hopefully survive many more centuries to come.
Yes, we will have problems but sooner or later our Democracy will produce solutions to those problems. I know it. We make a lot of noise in our Democracy but noise is better than silence that is forced and ominous. We have our share of gutless politicians at the present time who are either too timid to do what is right or too dumb to realize that they are destryong America by trying to destroy it's President.
Certainly our President has made and I'm sure will make some serious mistakes as all Presidents before him have but at least he is trying to do some things that need doing.
Republicans standing in the way of Health Care Reform, Economic Reform and Immigration Reform are, I am convinced, going to learn a serious political lesson in November of this year when voters who are fed up with Obstructionists in Congress vote them out. Republicans who continue to try to strangle the Government from doing anything are going to wake up on Election Day and find out that the electorate was not as stupid as they had counted on. I am sure of it.
As we celebrate your birthday today we look forward to that Day of Reckoning in November when the American People get out, go to their polls and "Vote the Rascals Out" one more time in America.
Once More, America, Happy Birthday To You.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Sad Goodbye of Helen Thomas
June 13th, 2010
My Dear America:
Monday Morning of this week was a sad day for Helen Thomas and also, I believe, a sad day for America.
A firestorm of controversy erupted following the release of an Interview that Helen had given in an offhand conversation with a Blogger on the White House grounds. The Blogger had asked her what she thought the Israelis should do with regard to Gaza and Helen replied that the Israelis should "Get the Hell out of Palestine".
Where should they go asked the Blogger and Helen replied that they should go back to Germany and Poland.
WHAT
When I first heard about the statements I was quick to fault Helen Thomas for these outrageous statements. Later on I heard the recorded statements on NPR and saw the video on Television and clearly I don't believe that these statements were made as racist rhetoric.
What I have thought about since the abrupt resignation of Helen Thomas from her Front Row Middle Chair in the White House briefing room and her status as a Columnist for the Hearst Newspapers, is that there may be some extenuating circumstances regarding Ms. Thomas's incendiary comments.
First of All, Helen Thomas was 89 years old. Was she too old to be doing her job in the White House. Perhaps. But the truth was that from Day One during the Kennedy Administation when she first took her seat in the White House briefing room she was a standout for many reasons. She was the first woman to be allowed a seat in the press room in any Administration and even at that point in the early 60s She had been working for United Press International since 1943.
Helen Thomas had lived through the Rebirth of Israel in Palestine in the late forties and beyond and knew what anyone with a knowledge of that era knew. Israel did not become a state without a fight with the people who had lived there for centuries before them, The Palestinians. Palestine was occupied by the Israelis in a violent and aggressive manner and although the British and Americans had brought the Israelis to the area the Israelis finally got their "benefactors" out of their country but still kept them as benefactors.
So the truth is that Israel has not existed forever under the control of the Israeli's but is a rather recent country which took control of Palestine in much the same way way that early Americans took control of American Indian Country in The United States of America.
I do not mention these things to cause further incendiary messages but simply to put things in perspective. To Helen Thomas, Israelis probably never deserved to live in Palestine and did not belong there. I do not know if that is what she was thinking when she made her controversial statements but it may very well have been and if so She had a good point.
Regarding the far more disturbing point, which is that Israelis should return to Germany or Poland from whence they came, clearly there is no valid excuse for that comment based on the horrific history of the Jewish holocaust by the Nazi's in World War II. The only possibly reasonable explanation for that comment might be Helen recognizing that those presently high functioning countries were past home countries for many Israeli families and that anti semitism was a thing of the past, or so we might hope.
Who knows what Helen Thomas thought. Only she knows for sure and she has not commented, as far as I know.
One comment that I thought was insightful regarding this situation was Lewis Black's comment to Joy Behar that Helen Thomas' "editing equipment wasn't working."
The truth is that her editing equipment hasn't been working for a long time and thats why we loved her. Her exchanges with President Kennedy were memorably humorous. Clearly Kennedy loved her barbs and responded in classic exchanges.
We should also remember that when other reporters were timid in their questioning of wars and other White House Horrors, Helen Thomas was always there putting Lyndon Johnson's, Richard Nixon's, Gerald Ford's, Ronald Reagan's, George Bush's 1 and 2, Bill Clinton's and Barack Obama's feet to the fire whenever she got a chance to do so.
Helen Thomas was an accomplished Reporter who has had a long and distinguished career. Perhaps it was time for her to retire anyway but she deserved better than to be tossed into the trash heap of history on a trumped up charge of racism that I don't believe is credible.
I would guess that I am not the only one who has had older people in my family that I loved but could not discuss blacks or jews with. Lovely people, for the most part, who grew up in another era in which racism not only existed but was a fact of life. I learned to love those people and to forgive them their faults in that one area and trained myself not to talk about subjects in which we were never going to agree and were probably going to get into terrible arguments.
I think Helen Thomas is probably one of those people who, like my relatives, couldn't help herself and like my relatives, did so much good that this one flaw in her conduct and personal record needs to be forgiven.
This Historically Significant Woman Correspondent was a real Journalistic Pioneer and does not deserve to be tossed out of the White House Press room without attention paid to her countless commendations for journalistic excellence and her many years of gutsy advocacy in favor of the American people and against American involvements in Wars where we didn't belong.
Yes she certainly was not flawless but then, who among us is.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
My Dear America:
Monday Morning of this week was a sad day for Helen Thomas and also, I believe, a sad day for America.
A firestorm of controversy erupted following the release of an Interview that Helen had given in an offhand conversation with a Blogger on the White House grounds. The Blogger had asked her what she thought the Israelis should do with regard to Gaza and Helen replied that the Israelis should "Get the Hell out of Palestine".
Where should they go asked the Blogger and Helen replied that they should go back to Germany and Poland.
WHAT
When I first heard about the statements I was quick to fault Helen Thomas for these outrageous statements. Later on I heard the recorded statements on NPR and saw the video on Television and clearly I don't believe that these statements were made as racist rhetoric.
What I have thought about since the abrupt resignation of Helen Thomas from her Front Row Middle Chair in the White House briefing room and her status as a Columnist for the Hearst Newspapers, is that there may be some extenuating circumstances regarding Ms. Thomas's incendiary comments.
First of All, Helen Thomas was 89 years old. Was she too old to be doing her job in the White House. Perhaps. But the truth was that from Day One during the Kennedy Administation when she first took her seat in the White House briefing room she was a standout for many reasons. She was the first woman to be allowed a seat in the press room in any Administration and even at that point in the early 60s She had been working for United Press International since 1943.
Helen Thomas had lived through the Rebirth of Israel in Palestine in the late forties and beyond and knew what anyone with a knowledge of that era knew. Israel did not become a state without a fight with the people who had lived there for centuries before them, The Palestinians. Palestine was occupied by the Israelis in a violent and aggressive manner and although the British and Americans had brought the Israelis to the area the Israelis finally got their "benefactors" out of their country but still kept them as benefactors.
So the truth is that Israel has not existed forever under the control of the Israeli's but is a rather recent country which took control of Palestine in much the same way way that early Americans took control of American Indian Country in The United States of America.
I do not mention these things to cause further incendiary messages but simply to put things in perspective. To Helen Thomas, Israelis probably never deserved to live in Palestine and did not belong there. I do not know if that is what she was thinking when she made her controversial statements but it may very well have been and if so She had a good point.
Regarding the far more disturbing point, which is that Israelis should return to Germany or Poland from whence they came, clearly there is no valid excuse for that comment based on the horrific history of the Jewish holocaust by the Nazi's in World War II. The only possibly reasonable explanation for that comment might be Helen recognizing that those presently high functioning countries were past home countries for many Israeli families and that anti semitism was a thing of the past, or so we might hope.
Who knows what Helen Thomas thought. Only she knows for sure and she has not commented, as far as I know.
One comment that I thought was insightful regarding this situation was Lewis Black's comment to Joy Behar that Helen Thomas' "editing equipment wasn't working."
The truth is that her editing equipment hasn't been working for a long time and thats why we loved her. Her exchanges with President Kennedy were memorably humorous. Clearly Kennedy loved her barbs and responded in classic exchanges.
We should also remember that when other reporters were timid in their questioning of wars and other White House Horrors, Helen Thomas was always there putting Lyndon Johnson's, Richard Nixon's, Gerald Ford's, Ronald Reagan's, George Bush's 1 and 2, Bill Clinton's and Barack Obama's feet to the fire whenever she got a chance to do so.
Helen Thomas was an accomplished Reporter who has had a long and distinguished career. Perhaps it was time for her to retire anyway but she deserved better than to be tossed into the trash heap of history on a trumped up charge of racism that I don't believe is credible.
I would guess that I am not the only one who has had older people in my family that I loved but could not discuss blacks or jews with. Lovely people, for the most part, who grew up in another era in which racism not only existed but was a fact of life. I learned to love those people and to forgive them their faults in that one area and trained myself not to talk about subjects in which we were never going to agree and were probably going to get into terrible arguments.
I think Helen Thomas is probably one of those people who, like my relatives, couldn't help herself and like my relatives, did so much good that this one flaw in her conduct and personal record needs to be forgiven.
This Historically Significant Woman Correspondent was a real Journalistic Pioneer and does not deserve to be tossed out of the White House Press room without attention paid to her countless commendations for journalistic excellence and her many years of gutsy advocacy in favor of the American people and against American involvements in Wars where we didn't belong.
Yes she certainly was not flawless but then, who among us is.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
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