As inauguration week is kicking into full gear here in DC, I am left wondering who will be fighting for me in Congress this year. By “for me”, I mean students with significant school loans that will be due soon after graduation. It seems like everyone is looking to get bailed out. Wall Street, the banks, the car industry, even the porn industry! But who is fighting on behalf of students? If this is the worst economic period since the Great Depression, and the worst job market in nearly a century…why is no one demanding that Congress pass a bill that allows students greater flexibility in paying back their student loans? May and June of this year will see thousands of students across the nation graduating with no jobs available to them. For a city that swarms with lobbyists, I haven’t heard one thing about any efforts being made on behalf of students. It is not right. We need a voice on the Hill.

Tweet This Post 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

NOTE: The following is an article I wrote about 3 years ago (ignore the citations). I think it is still very applicable today, and probably will be for a long time.

What is bias? Bias is a preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment. It is also an unfair act or policy stemming from prejudice. What is media? It is a means of mass communication. Radio, newspapers, and television are all forms of media that dominate our everyday lives. They provide us with news, information, entertainment, and an overall picture of the world we live in. Media is perhaps the most influential aspect of the global community we all share. With that in mind, it would be naïve to neglect the existence of bias in the media. However, the question of the overall nature of the bias, is it liberal or conservative, is a much harder concept to fully grasp and make conclusions about than the simple existence of the bias itself. The only certainty that can be concluded is that there is bias in the media, and it is both liberal and conservative.

In an atmosphere of constantly changing issues, how is it possible to measure, scientifically, the treatment the issues receive in the media (Alterman, p. 15)? The answer to that question is that it is impossible to scientifically formulate a conclusion as to which side the bias in the media swings. There are strong arguments that the media overall is a liberal leaning entity. There are counter arguments that the majority of media outlets are run by a select few corporations, thus as a whole making media reflect the conservative views of big business. Both arguments are substantial and deserve to be dissected and reflected on.

According to Noam Chomsky, one of the leading left-leaning critics of government, media, and society for several decades, we live in a country based on a five-tier propaganda model, or set of news “filters” that inevitably lead to a conservative bias in the media. These filters include: the size, concentrated ownership, owner wealth, and profit orientation of the dominant mass-media firms; advertising as the primary income source of mass media; the reliance of the media on information provided by government, business, and “experts” funded and approved by these primary sources and agents of power; “flak” as a means of disciplining the media; and agents of power; “anticommunism” as a national religion and control mechanism (Herman & Chomsky, p. 2). When considering Chomsky’s argument Read the rest of this entry »

Tweet This Post 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The Schmooze: Seriously? This is what they do when they “suspend” a campaign?

McCain camp releases ad claiming debate victory

(CNN) – The time between the final answer in any presidential debate and the campaign press release declaring victory can usually best be measured in milliseconds. But John McCain’s campaign – which has been downplaying his performance at Friday’s faceoff, offering praise for opponent Barack Obama’s “eloquence” and debating skill – seems to have decided it’s never too soon to start spinning the outcome.

The Washington Post reported Friday that the campaign was running an online ad featuring the headline: “McCain Wins Debate!” and a photo of a smiling McCain and an American flag background. Another featured a quote from McCain campaign manager Rick Davis: “McCain won the debate — hands down.”
The Obama campaign quickly circulated the report – which came moments before McCain’s team confirmed he would take part in the evening debate after all.

Tweet This Post 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Some quick schmooze-for-thought: Did you know that President Bush is the 1st American president ever to hold an MBA degree? From Harvard no less! Yes…that Harvard. Given the financial meltdown we are going through…shouldn’t that give the American public some sort of sense of comfort? Or does it just make you question the value of a Harvard degree? I leave it to you to decide.

Tweet This Post 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The Schmooze: Here is a good clip of Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden discussing the economy. The tax plans between the Dems and the GOP differ in a very basic fundamental way. The Dems favor a “bottom-up” approach and the GOP favor a “top-down” approach. As Biden says in the video, it is ok to disagree about which approach is better. Stating why you oppose the other approach and support your own is the essence of a legitimate debate about the issues. Ultimately, that is all we want as voters (or should want). Instead of flat out lying about the position of your opponent (I don’t want to say it is only John McCain and the GOP that have done this…but most of the evidence so far sure seems to support that), just acknowledge what their position is and try to convince us voters that your position is stronger based on the facts. Is that too much to ask for?

Tweet This Post 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The Schmooze: As we here at The Random Schmooze do our best to be independent…we present you with the full transcript from Sarah Palin’s first press interview. A warning, the transcript is long, but a very worthwhile read. We leave it up to you the reader to make your own conclusions about whether Sarah Palin is an appropriate choice to be Vice President. We strongly encourage you to leave a comment with your opinion. Enjoy!

The following excerpts are from the ABC News exclusive interview with Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in Fairbanks, Alaska, conducted by “World News” anchor Charlie Gibson on September 11, 2008

Sarah Palin on Experience:

GIBSON: Governor, let me start by asking you a question that I asked John McCain about you, and it is really the central question. Can you look the country in the eye and say “I have the experience and I have the ability to be not just vice president, but perhaps president of the United States of America?”

PALIN: I do, Charlie, and on January 20, when John McCain and I are sworn in, if we are so privileged to be elected to serve this country, will be ready. I’m ready.

GIBSON: And you didn’t say to yourself, “Am I experienced enough? Am I ready? Do I know enough about international affairs? Do I — will I feel comfortable enough on the national stage to do this?”

PALIN: I didn’t hesitate, no.

GIBSON: Didn’t that take some hubris?

PALIN: I — I answered him yes because I have the confidence in that readiness and knowing that you can’t blink, you have to be wired in a way of being so committed to the mission, the mission that we’re on, reform of this country and victory in the war, you can’t blink.

So I didn’t blink then even when asked to run as his running mate.

GIBSON: But this is not just reforming a government. This is also running a government on the huge international stage in a very dangerous world. When I asked John McCain about your national security credentials, he cited the fact that you have commanded the Alaskan National Guard Read the rest of this entry »

Tweet This Post 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Foot tapping protected by First Amendment, Craig’s lawyer says

From CNN’s Chris Welch

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) – In an effort to persuade a three-judge panel to throw out Sen. Larry Craig’s guilty plea, his attorney suggested Wednesday that his foot tapping in an airport men’s room may have been protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

The Idaho Republican was arrested in the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport in June 2007, after an undercover police officer accused him of soliciting sex by using hand signals and tapping his foot in a bathroom stall.

Two months after his arrest, and without consulting a lawyer, Craig later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

In addition to suggesting that First Amendment may be involved, Craig’s lawyer, Billy Martin, also argued before the Minnesota Court of Appeals panel that no one besides the arresting officer saw the hand signals and foot tapping, which would mean no one else was offended by the behavior and, thus, make the disorderly conduct charge invalid.

Martin also suggested that the judge who Read the rest of this entry »

Tweet This Post 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

A quick schmooze on convention speeches. Why is everyone so amazed when one of these politicians gives a good speech at a convention? They are politicians! Specifically, they are politicians reading from a teleprompter. They would not be elected political figures if they were not good at public speaking. The shock should come if they don’t “hit it out of the park.” Here’s another question…why is there never any credit given to the speech writers? These speeches didn’t write themselves. Isn’t it really the speech writers who “hit it out of the park” or not? Wouldn’t it be more accurate if after a John McCain or Barack Obama speech the analysts say “(insert speech writers name here) really hit it out of the park tonight?”

Tweet This Post 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

As I’m sure you already know, Senator John McCain chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his choice for VP. Palin is young, female, pro gun and anti-abortion.

The Schmooze: All I can say is that sometimes smart people make dumb decisions. I think this choice is terrible for three main reasons:

1. How do you follow up months upon months of hammering Barack Obama and his lack of experience and his not being ready to be commander and chief by picking someone who has less experience than he does? Regardless of which candidate you support, the discussion about experience is a valid one. Whereas the Obama campaign’s central focus in attacking McCain has been his judgment, McCain’s main line of attack has been about Obama’s lack of experience. It is hard to make the case that selecting a 44 year old 1st term governor from Alaska (no offense to Alaska) is a good pick when it immediately undercuts your strongest argument against your opponent. Regardless of how you feel about Obama, most people are in agreement that Joe Biden is as qualified as any VP candidate ever to step in and take over should the need arise. John McCain is 72 years old and has had 4 bouts with cancer. The qualifications of his #2, the person who would be 1 heartbeat away from being President, are crucial to voters feeling comfortable with the ticket. How can anyone feel comfortable with this pick when a majority of Republicans don’t even know who she is?

2. Palin does not sure up any of McCain’s weaknesses…specifically his shortcomings on the economy. Even if Obama’s selection of Biden as his VP choice gave credibility to the argument that he lacked foreign policy experience, it also demonstrated his good judgment and willingness to acknowledge that he needed help. In this sense Mitt Romney would have been the much better choice. One of the main issues the election will turn on is the economy. By virtue of being the Republican candidate, not to mention his own admission that he doesn’t understand economics, McCain is already facing an uphill battle on this crucial issue. Adding Mitt Romney, a successful businessman who has run large events such as the Olympics as well as a large state (again…no offense to Alaska), would have been the smart pick here.

3. I would think this pick is an insult to women. Clearly the motivation here is to steal a big share of those 18 million votes Hillary Clinton got. Now I’m not a woman, but I have to believe that those women who strongly supported Hillary Clinton did so because she was a qualified woman who shared their same beliefs on the issues. They weren’t supporting her just because she was a woman. Picking a woman who is pro-gun and pro-life and assuming that those women who supported Hillary will now support the McCain/Palin ticket merely because she is a women is beyond risky and nearly insulting (women, please chime in here).

With all this being said, you have to give McCain credit for defying conventional wisdom and logic. Ultimately I believe it will be to his detriment…but at least it was out of left field and keeps things very interesting. I think if Obama is smart…he will appoint some women (Clinton, Claire McCaskill, even Caroline Kennedy) to some high level cabinet positions and make those appointments public before the election.

Tweet This Post 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!