August 19, 2004
CAMBODIA IS THE EASY PART TO EXPLAIN:
Kerry faces tough veteran crowd (Frank James and Rick Pearson, August 19, 2004, Chicago Tribune)
Kerry's speech in Cincinnati drew about 6,000 people, fewer than half the 15,000 attending the VFW's national convention. The audience offered polite applause.But many veterans did not clap at some standard stump-speech lines that usually draw applause, suggesting that numerous former warriors were skeptical if not hostile. At least two men heckled Kerry.
One word explained the tough crowd: Vietnam.
Kerry's public protests against the Vietnam War as a young veteran newly home from Southeast Asia were a sore point for many veterans.
As a leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Kerry, a highly decorated naval officer during the war, testified before Congress, repeating allegations by other soldiers of war crimes by U.S. servicemen.
NPR listeners know this is a tissue of lies, because Juan Williams says the Senator was greeted like a cross between Elvis and the Messiah yesterday. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 19, 2004 9:22 AM
News is conservative.
Posted by: oj at August 19, 2004 1:26 PMSemolina:
I listen as well, for the same reason the CIA read Pravda. Although that may not be the best of examples anymore...
Yellow Matter Custard
Posted by: Rick T. at August 19, 2004 1:47 PMNews might be conservative (whatever that means), but NPR's presentation of the news certainly isn't.
Not to mention, those with a conservative conscience should resist supporting any media outlet -- conservative, liberal or apolitical -- that exists on money extorted by the IRS from American citizens.*
(*Here's where somebody pipes up to point out that NPR no longer gets many of its dollars from government funding. And here's where I'll preempt that by saying that if NPR gets even $1 of taxpayer money, or enjoys any special legal privileges, then that is a bad thing. Anybody who wants the kind of boring, droning radio offered by NPR should go start their own station. If there's a demand for such programming, the market will provide it.)
Posted by: Semolina Pilchard at August 19, 2004 5:25 PMSemolina:
The news (or reality if you prefer) confirms all conservative prejudices.
NPR should be given a huge lump sum and made a private institution with a public mission. If they need more money than the interest from such a fund would generate they could advertise.
Posted by: oj at August 19, 2004 6:01 PM