Oh ABC News, Your Bias Is Showing

ABC, huh? That's the name. Perhaps it stands for the All Barack Channel? I wish I could take credit for that moniker, but I read it on someone else's blog. Sadly, it fits quite well, and ABC doesn't seem like they're trying to hide it.

When the First Amendment-protected "news" (the media) is no longer promoting news, where do we go for our information as a society? When companies like ABC News so slyly broadcast and headline anti-Romney or pro-Obama themes so blatantly, are they still promoting news?

July 31, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- A congressional report places blame for the failed Fast and Furious program on five key AFT members (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/30/republicans-to-issue-report-blaming-five-atf-employees-for-fast-and-furious/

- Colorado movie massacre suspect James Holmes has officially been charged with 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murder (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57482205-504083/james-holmes-charged-with-24-counts-of-first-degree-murder-in-aurora-colo-movie-theater-massacre/?tag=stack

- A new poll shows that Americans' attitude towards gun control has changed little since the Colorado movie massacre (NBC News): http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/30/13036800-poll-views-on-gun-laws-unchanged-after-aurora-theater-massacre?lite

- The suspect in the hepatitis C infection case, David Kwiatkowski, has had troubles in his field in the past (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/30/health/hepatitis-c-infections/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

*** Be sure to vote in the weekly LME Obama Bain Attack Ads poll on the left side of this blog ***

July 30, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Colorado movie theater suspect James Holmes will be formally charged today (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57481998/aurora-movie-theater-shooting-suspect-james-holmes-to-be-formally-charged/?tag=stack

- An estimated 200,000 civilians have fled the Syrian city of Aleppo as the Syrian government increased its assault on rebel forces (USA Today): http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-07-30/syrian-army-rebels-aleppo/56584392/1

- Former president Bill Clinton is expected to have a big role at the democratic convention (CNN): http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/29/bill-clinton-to-play-prominent-role-at-democratic-convention/?hpt=hp_t2

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Join LME on the Radio for Political Debate on Saturday, July 27th

Tune in to The 405 Live on the web from 10:00 - 11:00am EST on Saturday, July 27th to listen. Join The Elephant in the Room's main contributor LME for great political discussion. The show is hosted by @johng405. Listen at the following link:

http://the405radio.com/

If you'd like to call in, please do so at 877-297-8022. Feedback on the segment is greatly appreciated.

Another Team Obama Lie The Media Ignores

It seems truth is not in the playbook for the Obama campaign. After being called out by the liberal-leaning Washington Post (http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/06/obama-campaign-deceit-machine-rolls-on.html), Team Obama maintained the allegations in this ad as it continued running mainly in battleground states.

The Obama campaign is at it again. A new ad by the Obama campaign is no different. In fact, it panders towards women, claiming "it's a scary time to be a woman" if Mitt Romney is elected president. See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33NT0_MgsVU

July 27, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Powerful storms from Oklahoma to New Jersey killed two and caused numerous power outages (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/27/us/northeast-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- The US State Department has "grave concerns" that the Syrian government is preparing for a massacre in the Syrian town of Aleppo (NBC News): http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/26/12963787-us-official-syrian-regime-seems-to-be-readying-for-massacre

- One of Jerry Sandusky's victims is planning to sue Penn State (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57480702/lawyers-shower-abuse-victim-to-sue-penn-state/?tag=stack

*** Be sure to vote in the weekly LME Obama Bain Attack Ads poll on the left side of this blog ***

July 26, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- The Senate has voted to accept the democrats' tax plan proposals while rejecting the proposals of the GOP (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/25/politics/senate-tax-vote/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- Colorado movie murder suspect James Holmes sent a detailed and gruesom letter/notebook to a local psychiatrist prior to his murderous rampage (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/25/exclusive-movie-massacre-suspect-laid-out-plans-in-package-mailed-to/ 

- In part of his speech to the National Urban League in New Orleans, Louisiana, President Obama expressed his views on gun violence (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57480290/obama-opens-up-about-gun-violence/?tag=stack

- The historic drought currently ravaging most of the US could cost as much as $12 billion (USA Today): http://www.usatoday.com/weather/drought/story/2012-07-25/drought-crops-loss-costs/56491296/1

*** Be sure to vote in the weekly LME Obama Bain Attack Ads poll on the left side of this blog ***

READER'S POST #18 - You Have Got To Be Kidding Me

By: 32slim32

From Yahoo news: “Mitt Romney says Barack Obama doesn't think entrepreneurs built their businesses. The problem is that's not what the president said.”

http://news.yahoo.com/spin-meter-obamas-didnt-build-echoes-190033849.html

From National Review: Obama campaign deputy manager Stephanie Cutter (of “felon” suggestion fame) is out with a new charge: Mitt Romney is lying about Barack Obama’s “you didn’t build that” line.

July 25, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Even though it saw an increase in sales by about 24% for the second quarter, Apple's net income missed its projections by about 10% (CNN Money): http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/24/technology/apple-earnings/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2

- Riots have erupted in Anaheim, California as residents accuse local police of corruption and racial profiling (NBC News): http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/25/12941221-shop-windows-smashed-fires-reported-as-anaheim-protest-turns-violent

- Fighting has increased in Syria as pro-Assad forces launch attacks on rebels in the country's two largest cities (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57479373/syrian-troops-appear-to-regain-upper-hand-on-rebels/?tag=stack

- The head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Dianne Feinstein, is now backtracking on her claim that the White House is responsible for recent security leaks (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/24/senate-intelligence-committee-head-regrets-speculating-about-leaks/?test=latestnews

*** Be sure to vote in the weekly LME Obama Bain Attack Ads poll on the left side of this blog ***

July 24, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein is suggesting that the White House may be responsible for recent intelligence leaks (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/23/democratic-sen-feinstein-suggests-some-leaked-info-came-from-white-house/

- New threats from an Al Qaeda leader warn of terrorist attacks hitting the "heart of America" (NBC News): http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/23/12909634-al-qaida-leader-threatens-to-carry-out-more-attacks-on-us-soil

- Colorado massacre suspect James Holmes seemed dazed and confused as he faced a judge and made a public appearance for the first time (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57477756/james-holmes-faces-judge-for-first-time-in-wake-of-aurora-colo-movie-theater-mass-shooting/?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel

- Home values have shown their first year-over-year increase in five years (CNN Money): http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/24/real_estate/home-values/index.htm?hpt=hp_t3

*** Win a free loudmouthelephant.com mug! Be sure to participate in our ABC News Contest - Check it out: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/07/a-readerabc-news-challenge-chance-to.html ***

July 23, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Colorado movie theater massacre suspect James Holmes will be making his first court appearance today as he remains uncooperative (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/23/investigators-find-batman-mask-poster-at-movie-theater-massacre-suspect/#ixzz21QJzBwt7

- The NCAA is expected to punish Penn State heavily for its handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/attention-turns-ncaa-penn-states-fate-16834434#.UA0ufWGm-Wg

- 51 victims were killed in Baghdad as bombs exploded across the city Monday morning (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57477572/iraq-hit-by-series-of-bomb-attacks-at-least-51-people-killed/?tag=stack

*** Win a free loudmouthelephant.com mug! Be sure to participate in our ABC News Contest - Check it out: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/07/a-readerabc-news-challenge-chance-to.html ***

NEW, LONGER Saturday Morning Radio with LME

Due to popular demand, our political segment will be extended to one hour!

Tune in to The 405 Live on the web at 10:00 am EST, 7:00 am PST on Saturday, July 21st to listen. Join The Elephant in the Room's main contributor LME for great political discussion. The show is hosted by @johng405. Listen at the following link:

http://the405radio.com/

If you'd like to call in, please do so at 877-297-8022. Feedback on the segment is greatly appreciated.

July 20, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- In a horrific scene, a heavily armed gunman opened fire in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater killing 14 and wounding 50. The suspect was apprehended without resistance behind the theater shortly after (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/20/us/colorado-theater-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- For the first time in Microsoft's history, the software giant is reporting a quarterly loss (NBC News): http://marketday.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/19/12837611-microsoft-reports-first-quarterly-loss-ever

- In a campaign speech in Florida, president Obama claims Mitt Romney's Medicare plan would hurt seniors (Yahoo!): http://news.yahoo.com/president-obama-florida-mitt-romneys-medicare-plan-leaves-013220933--abc-news-politics.html

*** Win a free loudmouthelephant.com mug! Be sure to participate in our ABC News Contest - Check it out: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/07/a-readerabc-news-challenge-chance-to.html ***

July 19, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- The US is experiencing the worst drought in decades, and the prices of everyday agriculture products (milk, cheese, meat, etc.) is expected to start climbing (USA Today): http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-07-18/milk-dairy-prices-rise/56321228/1

- George Zimmerman, in his first high-profile interview since being charged in Trayvon Martin's murder said he regrets killing Martin (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57475344-504083/george-zimmerman-to-sean-hannity-trayvon-martin-shooting-was-a-tragic-situation/?tag=stack

- The suicide bomber suspected in blowing up a bus in Bulgaria yesterday reportedly had a fake Michigan ID (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/07/18/bulgaria-bus-explosion-kills-3-israeli-tourists/?test=latestnews

*** Win a free loudmouthelephant.com mug! Be sure to participate in our ABC News Contest - Check it out: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/07/a-readerabc-news-challenge-chance-to.html ***

A Reader/ABC News Challenge - A Chance to Win Something!

Want to win something?! Sure, it will be a small, inexpensive bit of Elephant "SWAG" (for those who don't know, SWAG stands for "s*** we all get"), but hopefully, this will be fun. I will get to the challenge and the reward in a second.

July 18, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- A suicide bomber has killed Syria's Defense Minister Wednesday morning according to state-run media (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/18/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- An organization of civil rights groups, religious leaders, and business organizations are challenging Arizona's "show me your papers" law upheld by the Supreme Court last month (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/groups-seek-block-arizona-immigration-law-16800228#.UAaToWGm-Wg

- Fed chairman Ben Bernanke told the Congress that the US economy is "stuck in the mud" as retail sales slow and unemployment remains stagnant (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57474338/bernanke-congress-appeal-to-one-another-to-fix-u.s-economy/?tag=stack

Open Debate: Obama Hired a Bain Guy to be at his Side???

Yes, you read that headline correctly. The director of the Office of Management and Budget, Jeffrey Zients, is a child of Bain. According to his bio found here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/organization_office, Zients "began his career in management consulting at Bain & Company and Mercer Management Consulting, where he focused on developing strategies and improving operations of Fortune 1000 companies." That stinking, evil, nasty, vulture capitalist! 

July 17, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- More violence is expected to erupt in Damascus today as rebels increase their attacks in the Syrian capital (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/17/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- The worst drought since 1956 has affected approximately 80% of the US. Some governors are asking for emergency funding from Washington (CBS): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57473336/drought-conditions-cover-80-percent-of-the-u.s/?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel

- A Senate report alleges banking giant HSBC easily allowed terrorist-sponsored financial groups to move money into nations that sponsored terrorism in addition to funding drug cartels in Mexico (NBC News): http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/17/12783850-report-hsbc-allowed-money-laundering-that-likely-funded-terror-drugs?l

- Business groups are criticizing President Obama remarks given in a recent speech that claims business success is largely due to the assistance of others and the government (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/17/business-groups-criticize-obama-over-remarks-about-government-role-in-success/#ixzz20rIiarHb

A Well-Written Article About the Fallacies of Socialist Policies

I saw this article on www.realclearpolitics.com while browsing the web on my phone this weekend, and I couldn't let it go. It explains, in simple terms, why socialist economic policies ultimately fail the population and leave the country saddled in debt with little hope of pulling itself out of a powerful downward economic spiral. See this great piece by representative John Campbell here: http://m.ocregister.com/opinion/europe-363669-free-people.html

July 16, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Two Americans recently kidnapped in Egypt have been confirmed to be unharmed (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/15/world/meast/egypt-americans-kidnapped/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will begin oversight of the major US credit reporting agencies starting at the end of September (NBC News): http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/16/12758288-credit-bureaus-to-get-federal-oversight-for-first-time

- Obama says that more change is still needed (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57472476/obama-still-more-change-needed-in-d.c/?tag=stack

- Economists are roundly pessimistic about the economy of 2012 going forward (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/16/economists-less-optimistic-as-early-2012-gains-wither/#ixzz20liV3BoO

Saturday Morning Radio with The Elephant in the Room

Tune in to The 405 Live on the web at 10:00 am EST, 7:00 am PST on Saturday, July 14th to listen. Join The Elephant in the Room's main contributor LME for great political discussion. The show is hosted by @johng405. Stick around at 10:30 for sports talk radio. I will be joining in the sports discussion, too. Listen at the following link:

http://the405radio.com/

If you'd like to call in, please do so at 877-297-8022. Feedback on the segment is greatly appreciated.

CNN's Disgusting Spin of Mitt Romney's Speech to the NAACP (VIDEO)

I'm starting to dislike the fact that it seems all I have been doing recently is calling out the media for their baloney. I dislike it for two reasons. The first is that I'm truly scared that the media is growing to out-of-control proportions. The right of free press is protected by the First Amendment, and the media seems to know this and use it to their advantage. They are the controllers of the spread of information. Lies, spin, and deceit are all part of their game plan it seems. It's now to the point that it seems like the American people are about to elect a president, and the only information they know is what the "news" tells them. The problem is, the "news" really isn't news any more. There's an agenda to it. There's a spin. There's an intent.

July 13, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Members of Occupy LA were involved in skirmishes with local police during a protest last night (MSNBC): http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/13/12716864-citywide-tactical-alert-as-occupy-la-protesters-skirmish-with-riot-police?lite

- Individual reports with video evidence claim to show the Syrian government massacred as many as 220 people in the central Hama province. Though difficult to confirm, this would be the largest massacre in the country's 16-month civil war to date (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57471463/activists-220-killed-in-latest-syria-massacre/?tag=stack

- A Florida homicide investigator told FBI agents that George Zimmerman "had a little hero complex but was not a racist" (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/12/justice/florida-teen-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- Mitt Romney's campaign is demanding that the Obama campaign apologize for a remark that claims Romney's actions regarding his departure at Bain Capital could have been felonious (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/12/presidential-rivals-trade-charges-lying-romney-demands-apology-over-felony/

July 12, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- The Syrian ambassador to Iraq has defected becoming the first Syrian government official to do so (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/opposition-syrias-iraq-ambassador-defected-16757724

- The House Judiciary Committee will open up a probe into a string of recent national security leaks (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/11/house-lawmakers-signal-interest-in-opening-leak-probe-issuing-subpoenas/

- Vice President Joe Biden will deliver a Mitt Romney rebuttal speech to the NAACP today (Yahoo!): http://news.yahoo.com/biden-offer-rebuttal-romney-naacp-063831773.html

July 11, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- The House of Representatives will take up what is seen as a symbolic vote to repeal Obamacare today. If it passes, which is expected, it will surely die in the Senate (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/11/politics/house-health-care/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- San Bernadino will be the second Californian city in as many months to declare bankrupcy (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/calif-city-votes-declare-bankruptcy-16751838

- President Obama and Mitt Romney have continually and will continue to spar over tax policy as campaigning ramps up (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/tax-plan-showdown-98-percent/story?id=16750398

*** Be sure to vote in the weekly LME SCOTUS Obamacare Ruling poll on the left side of this blog ***

On Unemployment, Don't Write Off Barack Obama's Broken Promises

I have been reading (and sometimes corresponding with) the left-leaning blog "The Moderate Left." It also operates www.mormondems.com. I respect the blog; it doesn't simply rant or chant on fringe subjects like #RomneySwissBankAccount. It tends to stick to real economic debate, and I visit it for that purpose. I think, in the spirit of civil debate (something this country is certainly lacking and the main purpose of The Elephant in the Room), it's good to know what the "other side" thinks and feels.

Today, I read the The Moderate Left's post titled "What's Driving Unemployment?" See it here: http://www.modleft.com/?p=212. For the first time in The Elephant in the Room's existence, I felt compelled to write a rebuttal to this post. It is more of an analysis of the ideas presented in the post rather than a counter-analysis of it. In short, here it goes:

July 10, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- President Obama is vowing to veto any bill that reaches him and extends the Bush Era tax cuts for all income earners (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/10/obama-threatens-veto-bill-combining-tax-cuts-for-middle-class-top-earners/#ixzz20CRsVyC8

- Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's campaign out-raised the Obama campaign by more than $30 million in June (USA Today): http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-07-09/romney-outraises-obama-june/56119212/1

- The Egyptian parliament met for the first time in over a month since the military disbanded the governing body (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/10/world/meast/egypt-politics/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

*** Be sure to vote in the weekly LME SCOTUS Obamacare Ruling poll on the left side of this blog ***

July 9, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- President Obama is set to go on the offensive today pushing an end to the Bush Era tax cuts for people with incomes greater than $250,000 per year (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/09/politics/obama-bush-tax-cuts/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- The IRS is getting ready for a new set of responsibilities under Obamacare (MSNBC): http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/08/12628058-irs-gearing-up-for-new-responsibilities-in-health-care?lite

- UN special envoy Kofi Annan and Syrian president Bashar al-Assad have agreed to meet in an attempt to curb the violence in Syria (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/07/09/un-envoy-annan-holds-talks-with-syria-assad-in-attempt-to-salvage-peace-plan/?test=latestnews

*** Be sure to vote in the weekly LME SCOTUS Obamacare Ruling poll on the left side of this blog ***

The Elephant in the Room is Back on the Radio on Saturday, July 7th

Tune in to The 405 Live on the web at 10:00 am EST, 7:00 am PST on Saturday, July 7th to listen. Join The Elephant in the Room's main contributor LME for great political discussion. The show is hosted by @johng405.  Listen at the following link:

http://the405radio.com/

If you'd like to call in, please do so at 877-297-8022. Feedback on the segment is greatly appreciated.

Note: I apologize for not putting up a post last week. The 405 Live did a mobile show featuring only local residents from the host's hometown in Wisconsin, and I was not co-hosting. I noticed a very large spike in hits to the blog right around 10:00 am last Saturday, so I'm assuming those were from people looking to hear the show. For those came to The Elephant in the Room to listen to the show, I apologize for the inconvenience. 

The June 2012 Jobs Report

Here is the June 2012 employment situation report from the BLS: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

Key Highlights:

- The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.2%. Non-farm employers added only 80,000 new jobs. 77,000 (revised) jobs were added in May. Employment gains averaged 226,000 from January through March.

- The number of unemployed persons remained unchanged at 12.7 million.

- The civilian labor force participation rate also remained flat at 63.8%.

Share your thoughts, feelings, and analysis below.

More Anti-Romney Over-Hyped Junk From CNN

I know the title of this piece sounds harsh, but frankly, I'm getting tired of the media's slime.

On the front page of CNN.com, readers encounter the headline "Backers: Romney has mixed messages." This leads to an article titled, "Some Prominent Supporters Blast Romney for Mixed Messages on Health Care 'Tax.'" Notice the word in bold: Some. See it in the following link (I will touch on it shortly): http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/05/some-prominent-supporters-blast-romney-for-mixed-messages-on-health-care-tax/?hpt=hp_t2

Let me start by sharing that I have been saying this all along; the "flip-flopper" claims and the "gaffes" accusations aren't really gaffes at all. They are misrepresentations done by the liberal media. To name a few:

July 5, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Mitt Romney is officially calling the healthcare mandate imposed in Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act a tax (MSNBC): http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/04/12563981-romney-health-care-mandate-is-a-tax?lite

- The outlook looks grim for the June jobs report scheduled to be released tomorrow (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/Business/jobs-report-expected-show-struggling-unemployment-picture/story?id=16706100

- NATO supply trucks are now entering Afghanistan via Pakistan for the first time in seven months (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/07/04/nato-troop-supplies-set-to-resume-via-pakistan/

*** Be sure to vote in the weekly LME SCOTUS Obamacare Ruling poll on the left side of this blog ***

July 4, 2012 - Independence Day - Morning Headlines

- Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider believe they have found the highly sought after "God" particle (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/04/tech/physics-higgs-particle/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

- In response to Iran's aggressive actions in the Strait of Hormuz, the US has been building up forces in the Persian Gulf (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/07/us-increases-forces-in-persian-gulf-as-iran-tensions-rise/

- Implementation efforts and an expansion of the federal government worry Obamacare opponents (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/03/efforts-to-implement-obamacare-law-raise-concerns-massive-government-expansion/

- Violence has escalated in Syria as the government's forces attack rebel establishments. Turkey scrambles fighter jets as Syrian helicopters are seen near the border (Yahoo!): http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-army-attacks-rebels-turkey-scrambles-f16s-090435113.html

*** Be sure to vote in the weekly LME SCOTUS Obamacare Ruling poll on the left side of this blog ***

READER'S POST #17 - Are Celebrities Stupid, or do They Think We Are?

By: 32slim32

I saw where Cher made this tweet about Mitt Romney:

“I Feel if he [0bama] doesn't get all his DUCKS IN A ROW we'll b forced 2 listen 2Uncaring Richy Rich! The whitest man in MAGIC UNDERWEAR in the WH”

http://twitchy.com/2012/06/29/anti-mormon-bigot-cher-richy-rich-romney-whitest-man-in-magic-underwear/

That is just priceless, Cher calling Romney Richey Rich. While Romney is worth $250 Million, Cher is worth $305 Million. Pot meet kettle.  I’m not even going to touch that “whitest man in magic underwear” thing.  By the way, what is Magic Underwear and would it be better if he were the blackest or brownest man in magic underwear?

July 3, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- Nearly two million residents are still without power after deadly storms hammered the mid-Atlantic (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/03/utility-crews-making-headway-but-not-fast-enough/?test=latestnews

- Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the runner up in the recent Mexican presidential election is refusing to concede to the winner Enrique Peña Nieto and says he will challenge the election in Mexican courts if necessary (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/02/world/americas/mexico-elections/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- In response to a recent EU oil embargo, Iran has tested missiles and threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz (CBS News): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57465499/iran-tests-missiles-renews-hormuz-closure-threat-as-eu-oil-embargo-kicks-in/?tag=stack

- Offering no apologizes, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad said he regrets that his forces downed a Turkish fighter jet last week (Yahoo!): http://news.yahoo.com/syrias-assad-says-wishes-turkish-jet-not-downed-051823539.html

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Obama's Most Powerful Surrogate: The Media

Typically I wouldn't write an extensive, scathing post on a Monday morning. I mean, come in, it's Monday, and no one wants to hear it. Plus, I'm usually tired and I just don't feel like it. But this Monday, for some reason, is different. Maybe it's because it's the first Monday in July, and the general election campaigns are really starting to take off. Maybe it's because there are 128 days until the election. I don't know why, but for whatever reason, when I began surfing the web this morning, I noticed a consistent theme: pro-Obama/anti-Romney articles by the mainstream media. Ugh. Here we go.

July 2, 2012 - Morning Headlines

- The crippling heat wave that hit the East Coast and the Midwest will continue through the beginning of the week with no end in sight. Many residents of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia are without power further complicating the situation (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/02/us/extreme-heat/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

- The PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) of Mexico won control back of the presidency after 12 years. Many have accused the party of being autocratic and overly powerful (Fox News): http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/07/01/mexico-could-return-old-ruling-party-to-power/

- The chairman of Barclays has resigned after the finance company was involved in a massive interest rate price fixing scandal (ABC News): http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/barclays-chairman-steps-rates-scandal-16692512

- The Eurozone's unemployment rate hit a record 11.1% in May (Yahoo!): http://news.yahoo.com/eurozone-unemployment-hits-record-may-090411655--finance.html