Knowing Helps Redux. . .

It May Take Effort, But Knowing Helps, In Ways Not Always Understood
compiled by The Old Hippie Because Knowing Reality Is Our Only Hope Of Remaining Free

"Lessons From The Idiot Box" - In These Times "Cuban Doctors" - Left I on the News "The Sickest Piece Of Journalism I've Ever Seen." - DJWriter "Plamegate: The John Bolton Connection" - The Huffington Post "A Daily Dance With Death" - Newsweek

"News is what people want to keep hidden and everything else is publicity."
  --  Bill Moyers, Now, Dec. 17, 2004

"Bush's Booze Crisis" - National Enquirer - As BuzzFlash says of this story. . .

"National Enquirer (we know, we know) says Bush is Boozing Again.  They read it big in the red states.  Also, They Have a Reputation for Accurate Reporting, Although Sleazy.  We Would Not Discount This Story At All.  This is the type of tabloid coverage that embeds itself in Bush voters.  Rove Relies on It Often.  What Goes Round, Comes Round."

"Bush Has ChevronTexaco Lawyer Head Fed's Oil Price Gouging Probe"

"Good news: Democratic governors have embarrassed the federal government into acknowledging the oil price gouging issue, as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced a formal probe.  Bad news: President Bush made sure to preempt any real investigation into price gouging by his financial backers in the oil/gas industry when last year he appointed a former ChevronTexaco lawyer, Deborah Majoras, to head the FTC.

Some would argue that any investigation - no matter how rigged - is better than no investigation.  But, then, I'm not so sure, especially when we inevitably see in a few weeks an oil-industry-written FTC report that gives a government stamp of approval to oil industry profiteering.  Undoubtedly, that's in the Bush administration's calculation: the White House's use of the FTC (instead of an independent commission) to be the government's one and only public face in dealing with this issue clearly has something to do with that agency being headed by an oil industry crony.

Thus, the question of the day: Will Majoras recuse herself from being involved in the probe?"
- David Sirota

"DemsTV" - DemsTV.com

"Politics with attitude.

Our feature program, demsTV is a mosh of quiz show, pundit-talk, and JenniCam.  Each week, demsTV.com features a group of interesting, engaging young democratic political analysts competing on wit, knowledge, and impersonation skills.

The show is produced by demsTV.com, a network of commentators and political professionals from across the country; all (but not entirely all) of the Democratic persuasion.  demsTV.com is a for-profit media company and not an agent or arm of the Democratic Party or any other political organization..."