Saturday, October 11, 2008

Good reading in the LA Times

Here are some articles worth reading from the LA Times:

Fox News' faux documentary sets new low - On Sunday, October 5th, the show 'Hannity's America' ran a documentary titled "Obama and Friends: The History of Radicalism." According to media critic James Rainey,

"Fox's hourlong screed is just the kind of media coverage that has contributed to the increasingly angry and irrational tone on the campaign trail. Even by the low standards of this election's advocacy journalism, the program plumbed new depths -- relying on innuendo and guilt by association to paint the Illinois senator as a dupe of the shadowy forces of the left."

The unitary executive question is a thought-provoking essay by Dana Nelson, inspired by the question about the role of the Vice-President in the VP debate between Joe Biden And Sarah Palin - you remember, the one where Joe Biden said that Dick Cheney has been the most dangerous VP ever?

Nelson, an American Studies professor at Vanderbilt University, writes:

If people have found Bush's exercise of executive power alarming, they should not only begin questioning presidential candidates about it, they should make it clear to their congressional representatives that they want these excess powers checked. Barack Obama has already promised that he will continue using signing statements, though he will not act as if they have the force of law. Interestingly enough, John McCain has suggested he will end the practice. These slim indicators deserve more pressure and scrutiny.

Big Business, Lobbyists had Palin's ear - The contents of Sarah Palin's gubernatorial calendar were made public, and this article looks at who she took the time to meet with, as well as who she didn't meet with. Oil companies and their lobbyists got lots of appointments, labor unions and climate change groups not so much. Although Palin has said she does not welcome lobbyists for meetings, the article quotes Ashley Reed, a lobbyist who was on a team of natural-gas officials who met with Palin in April 2007: "We have not had problems with access to Gov. Palin or her key department people."

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