Replies

(remember, this is my totally amateur attempt at filling in for the Top Ten list. Be gentle <g>)

The Top 10

IMHO, these posters provided the most significant contributions, overall, to this thread.

It may always look this way to the person trying to sort through these posts and pick out the top ones, but I really think this was one of the best threads we've had. Oh lucky me. </sarcasm>

Regardless, I have a new found respect and AWE of the people who have done this for us all in the past (not that I didn't before, but my goodness!!). I have stumbled through this this weeks thread, and have actually paid a price for doing so (poor me), but I wouldn't exchange this experience if you paid me (though if you wanted to make an offer I'd like to see how I'd react). I will, however, think long and hard before taking this on again. The reward of reading and assessing these post is immense, but the cost is very high and the responsibility is overwhelming (OK, I'm being melodramatic, but I'm not being facetious).

A little formatting info. I've set it up so that the links to the cited posts should be live, so you can click and go directly to what I extracted from. Where I've extracted I have used ellipses (...) to indicate that there is more of the post in the direction of the ellipses. I've also used ellipses to stitch together separate paragraphs from posts in order to avoid line breaks. Things in parenthesis that start with PH: are my comments.

10th place through 6th place are basically in alphabetical order. All of them deserve to be in the top 10 but I'm really torn about the order. I have to admit that there are several folks in the Honorable Mention list that I wanted to include here as well, but I had to draw the line somewhere. Damn these rules!

Positions four and five are very close to being interchangeable, so far as I'm concerned. You might notice the use of the term "impassioned" for both. Beyond that they also have very good analysis and unquestioned contribution to the value of the discussion in common. It was a very tough call and probably came down to the "special applause" line.

Third and second place are really tough as they represent totally different things.

Seattle Conservative's posts are always the most generous in providing background and links for the rest of us so that we can make our own judgments. That may ultimately be the most valuable contribution to this thread of all. The analysis in her posts is also top notch, but it sometimes gets overwhelmed with the outstanding background info. I DO NOT WANT TO STOP THAT BACKGROUND INFO AS I DEPEND ON IT, but I'd like to find some way to highlight Seattle Conservative's analysis, which is top notch.

Morgan in Denver's posts are almost all very well thought out and supported. They each provide some additional bit of information or insight that helps others to analyze what is being said (and what is being pushed) on the Sunday shows. Most of the posts reached beyond what was said on the Sunday shows and provided context, insight or background for us to form our own conclusions, as well as providing an excellent guide to what the most reasonable conclusion should be. If it weren't for that "I love you" post... unnnnngggghhhhhh! <g>

And then we have Peach. From my point of view Peach provided the perfect example of the best of the best on this thread. We have relevant facts (with links) along with cogent commentary, appropriately snappy remarks, on point references to external information, both supportive and explanatory posts regarding other posters comments (without any conflict... always positive). And then there's post 674. This post addressed issues that are particularly important to me (I admit my bias) and elevates this post and this thread above and beyond the typical "right wing geeks patting each other on the back" (I don't buy that description, but Peach's posts put the lie to that idea beyond any argument). We are making a difference. We can influence what is said and done, in the media, in the halls of Congress and in the larger world. Peach's posts are great examples of that truth.

Congratulations all, and to everyone, please be kind. I'm so fragile..... <G>

Tenth Place - anita, excellent combination of comment and background information, spot on comments with excellent analysis

#7 "Meanwhile, in the Real World, just last week:..." (PH: great comments (and a couple of links) on what the Sunday shows are pointedly NOT covering);
#100 "Do you know Collins is McCains point-woman in the senate for his 2008 campaign?";
#222 "In Real corporate world, David Gregory would have been recalled from WH, like they did for Terry Moran, John Roberts etc..";
#301 "Media Nuggets for this week..." (PH: great collection);
#483 "Also this: Lobbyists gave more to Democrats... The Center for Responsive Politics says that over the past fifteen years, lobbyists have contributed more money to Democrats than to Republicans, by a $53 million to $48 million margin. This seems remarkable, as Republicans have been in the majority in both houses of Congress for eleven of those years.";

Ninth Place - eeevil conservative, fast and furious blow by blow comments on the shows, without pulling any punches (plus what I would like to promote as a new FreeRepublic tradition - the in house THWAP? Kind of like a friendly zot, or what I called a notzot)

#309 "LOL! If James gave it to her.. it was a plot to distract everyone from what she was actually saying....(when women go on national television with things like that, it is a sure shot that they need friends....friends don't let friends dress drunk.)";
#425 "Prepared for THWAP........donning my THWAP protection gear...." (PH: see my post 616 for my comments);
#602 "OPPORTUNITY IS NOT BLACK OR WHITE!... Former President Jimmy Carter said last week at Coretta Scott King’s funeral..." (PH: looks like a great article - great catch);
#670 "I wish I had a ZOT MOD for the news channels..LOL!" (PH: don't we all);
#856 "...Hey Lame Brain Graham... if we are going to call on the Constitution- then let's call on it....what is it called when your friends aid the enemy in a time of war? Why are your friends in office instead of a barred cell?...";
#885 "...the REALITY is not that these things being leaked "hurt" us.. the REALITY is that these folks would NEVER pass a clearance or background check for the info they want to see....not to mention that they play politics with it- not SAFER AMERICA with it....";

Eighth Place - gov_bean_ counter, excellent comments that provided very good perspective on the key issues, post #663 is especially significant to the discussions for this coming week

#240 "Graham has been awful surveillance issue. He is never asked to explain just what research what law what anything upon which his opinion is based...." (PH: good summary of what's wrong with John McCain's shadow);
#686 "What the WH or RNC really needs is a Deputy Press Secretary for Smarmy Sound Bites. So much of the MSM/Dems is taylor made for the kind of Clinton one liners that used to make us go crazy. Unfortunate the Pubbies will continue to bring Marques of Queensbury rules to a street fight." (PH: great idea, great link);
#663 "The news cycle moves too fast for Time and Newsweek to keep up. By the time they can get the stories to press the public has moved on to the next topic and these two look like they are piling on. Not good for their side." (PH: specifically cited as "post of the day" by samantha in post #878)

Seventh Place - Laverne, excellent analysis of the key issues on the shows, with a particular nod for the smack down of "Katrina Van den Hoofinmouth" (remind me not to make you mad)

#53 "Evan Bayh was actually reasonable...";
#122 "Simpson is great -- he really is taking the press to task and is doing so with great humor. Laughing at the press is the best way to approach their story-telling...";
#265 "I recall in the intelligence hearings recently, Goss made a point of this -- in fact, it was regarding this leak he said he hoped to see journalists in front of a grand jury answering questions about who leaked this information. He further stated, that some of the intelligence agencies from other countries criticized the US Intelligence agencies for not being able to keep a secret. I'm not sure which journalist released this information....Dana Priest comes to mind, but I don't recall. I hope though that who ever it was gets to go to jail for a good long time.";
#321 "Matalin was especially good talking about the abject hypocricy regarding Hillary's comment. Too bad no one else picked up on that, but she openly snickered about the absurdity of Hillary's statement.";
#363 "Katrina Van den Hoofinmouth on Stephy's show sticks with the standard DNC talking point -- the "secrecy on this story is emblematic about the overall secrecy on every issue". George WIll takes her to task. Cokie Roberts goes with the Maura LIaison line about how theh late night comics made this a story, not the press rage. We all know that had Cheney released a statement about this on Saturday night, the WHite house press corps would have screamed they were trying to cover up the story by releasing it on a saturday night. Vanden Hoofinmouth is really insane.";
#418 "Schieffer's closing comments, were as they always are, enough to make you vomit. He really is slimey. Old media's constant repetition of the DNC talking points just furthers the impression that they are the propaganda arm of the democrat party. Schieffer focused on Rummy's comments on losing the media war to the terrorists, yet he fails to even mention Al Gore's outrageous remarks made in Saudi Arabia, paid for by the Saudi's. Instead he focuses on Abu Graib. What a dumb clymer. Schieffer focuses on the "too secretive" talking point...he is just so transparent. Tries to present himself as serious, and instead makes himself look idiotic. TYpical. Think I'll send him an email."

Sixth Place - maica, fantastic extension of the arguments on the shows, with links to supporting articles - this may be one of the areas FR is most important for, bringing in other sources that we wouldn't normally have access to and these posts provide excellent examples

#229 "...our local NBC channel did not even mention President Bush's powerful appearance in Tampa on Friday...Many people think he is doing nothing day after day.";
#429 "...Maybe we should send a copy of Tony's Editorial to Brit and the gang. Brit said that it was a slow news week!!" (PH: excerpt and link to Tony Blankley's article The Shooting Party);
#678 "...Democrats believe in using Other Peoples Money. This philosophy extends down to the small potential donor. There are far fewer of these supporting the Dem party. That is why the so-called fabulous fund-raising of Howard Dean and Move-on was such a remarkable phenomenon... Dems are used to "deep pockets" paying for things. So it follows that money would go more from lobbying groups to dems than to republicans.";
#698 "The Congressman who has the port of Baltimore in his district was on local radio, and he said he had no idea that a) this sale was being contemplated, b) that the owner of the port operations in question was not an American company, and c) he was annoyed that he had not been informed of (a) or (b) because he was on a committee that dealt with ports!... Gawd, I despair of the ignorance of our congresscritters!";

Fifth Place - Txsleuth, a lot of impassioned posts on a lot of topics (Txsleuth UNBOUND!) but these gems stood out for their very strong analysis

#487 "Well....I think I predicted pretty well that the Dubai Port sale would be a hot topic... Both Saxby Chambliss and Jane Harman feel that Congress SHOULD have been involved in this sale...and feel that NOW he needs to get with them for their permission... However, I think it was Tony Snows show that I heard that Congress itself had decided that these issues were better NOT to be in their jurisdiction...and that the panel that did make this decision SHOULD make the decision... BUT, I see that they have found yet another way to bash Bush, whether we like this deal or not (and I am not happy with it)...it is being USED." (PH: prediction is from Sunday Show Preview Thread, post #81, and was posted at 7:30 PM, CST, on Saturday);
#524 "It was explained, that because this was a sale between two companies....that Congress did not feel that these companies should have to be grilled and investigated, etc, in order to do business... I heard that the reason Congress made this decision was to help our trade with foreign countries...and that if we made these types of transactions into a hugh deal..it would stifle trade... BUT, this was done long before 9/11....and so this business deal in particular has made people sit up and take notice... However, for Schumer and Clinton to get on their high-horses and act like the Bush Administration did a "secret" back room deal...and doesn't care about port security is bogus....because it was CONGRESS that set up this system...and Bush was just playing by THEIR rules." (PH: in reference to port deal with Dubai based company);
#538 "What I found interesting today..on all of th shows...was when Sec. Chertoff was asked about the Dubai deal, he was VERY closed mouthed and reinterated over and over how it was classified..and he couldn't talk about it... To me, it seemed more "hush-hush" than the darn NSA program---I guess because the NYTimes had outed it...but still, I was sort of surprised how vehement Chertoff was in NOT discussing that subject on any of the shows.";
#872 "When the Fox Sunday show went to the first panel segment...Chris asked what they all thought was the reason the Cheney hunting accident was such a huge story this week... and Brit disappointed me, when he blurted out..."it was a slow news week"... BAH...it was NOT a slow news week...and we freepers have enumerated the number of big stories that were seemingly ignored because of the Cheney story... Brit, Brit...don't fall into "media mentality"..please!"

Fourth Place - MNJohnnie, impassioned, reactive, sometimes over the top (appropriately), and very good analysis as well as dynamite supporting information and links - MNJohnnie deserves special applause for this one phrase "More idiot babble from the Insane Senate Posse. HEY Senate MORONS" - truly priceless

#141 "Graham just wastes not time getting on his knees does he?";
#210 "Would someone please sit this moron Graham down and explain the President's inherent Article 2 powers. Graham really is the Commander in Chief of the Republican On Kneepads brigade. He is an idiot. Someone who was a JAG should NOT be this mentally incompetent.";
#233 "More idiot babble from the Insane Senate Posse. HEY Senate MORONS, what part of Article 2 of the US Constitution do you NOT understand? " Commander in Chief? Repel sudden attack"???? Get it you Senatorial idiots? Quit trying to straddle the issue you cowards and tell the lunatic Left to go do themselves." (PH: MNJohnnie is a bit less reserved this week than last... perhaps he held back last week while doing the top 10 list and feels a need to let go?);
#256 "It is not important what a Democrat 'Sounds' like, all you have to do is remind them 'yeah, he SOUNDS good, just like Bill Clinton did in 1992. Got your 1992 tax cut yeat?' Gee wonder who Bayh would appoint to be Sec of Defense or AG?";
#299 "FYI..." (PH: link to Rasmussen poll and info on select races);
#312 "You mean Flush the Koran Newsweak? Say has Newsweak even DISCIPLINED anyone for printing an out right Al Qeda style propaganda lie in their "news"? What, they have not even APOLOGISED for printing Al Qeda propaganda? And people still consider them a SERIOUS news agency?";
#338 "Difference was Hilly people were being paid by the Govt thus the records were public Docs she illegitimately stifled, the people who met with Cheney VOLUNTEERED their time and thus the public records rule did not apply." (PH: great summary of the issue regarding Cheney's energy task force records vs. the Hillarycare conspiracy records);
#447 "Someone really needs to say "Excuse me? You are a private industry selling a product. You "Journalists" have NO legal or moral right to Govt access. That is just a self serving propaganda lie you all use to justify your self-important busybody behavior. NO ONE is under ANY obligation to talk to you Junk Journalists. The Administration is certainly NOT under any obligation to talk to "Journalists" who have quit even PRETENDING to be objective and become outright propagandists for their political foes.";
#645 "'A New Jersey lawmaker said yesterday he intends to require U.S. port security officials be American citizens, to prevent overseas companies operating domestic shipping facilities from hiring foreigners in such sensitive positions.'... So now here come Chucky Schumer and his Insane Democrat Senate Clown posse to the "Rescue". There NEXT spin lie will be "Gee there is just too much risk of these operations being in private hands, we better place the Feds in charge like we did with the baggage screener... What a sweet game for the Democrat Senate Election team headed by Chucky. Grandstand like they are tough on security and get the "Conservatives" to fight the PR battle for them. The for the Coup get the Conservatives to set up PR so the Dems have an excuse to move MORE private business into the Publics Sector. End result? The Govt Unions getting thousands of new workers added to the Union rolls that the Dems can then squeeze for Campaign "Contributions" Yeah, that is really the sort of result "Conservatives" should be pushing for.";
#694 "Thanks PD. Good to hear. Just amazing from a logical stand point diagramming these stories. There is just NO logical connection. There are NO actual facts about the Company just the usual sort of Junk Journalist nonsense. Here how all these stories diagram out from a logical standpoint... A. Arabs were responsible for the 9-11 atrocities. B. UAE is an Arab Country. C. The Company that is taking over port operations for 6 ports in the US is based in UAE. D Bush is turning Port Security over to the Terrorists! It's all guilt by accusation and innuendo, there is no THERE in any of these stories. Never mind the fact that Port Security is ALL ready a Federal Govt function! What do they all think the Coast Guard and Customs DO???? Glad to hear I was NOT losing my mind thinking this smelled rotten.";
#699 "... You it is really funny thing, Repubs are lousy politicans but pretty fair at governing. Dems are lousy at governing but masters at the Political PR. Thankfully the American people have started to see thru the PR machine. Wonder if that will continue?"

Third Place - Seattle Conservative, best provider of relevant background information, hands down - the supporting information (with links) are so good that the very rare occurrence when a link isn't provided caused me to take notice - the only problem for me is that there is so much information provided that I lose track of the excellent analysis - I get overwhelmed and forget what great personal comments are being made and only remember the background info (with links) - but please don't change, just highlight your own analysis... please?

#112 "...The week that was at the White House (David Gregory "blogs" his side of story)..." (PH: great catch, and a link to the FR thread discussing it);
#212 "Whoa! I can't believe Timmy brought up Gore's speech in Saudi. Notice he said 'some conservative blogs'. FR is not a blog, but I think some think it is - - maybe as phsstpok suggested, these shows are reading FR more and more." (PH: thank you very much, I'm too humble to point this out myself <g>);
#283 "Here's Bayh's top contributors (industries). Note the highest is law firms..." (PH: really good info, with link to source, great work!);
#348 "Bayh's $$s from last year for his presidential run. While they claim he has a great start, he has a way to go to catch up w Hill..." (PH: good data and link);
#411 "..The Dims know that the American people trust the Pubbies w Nat'l Sec more than the Dims, so, the Dims will be all over Nat'l Sec in the next elections. Of course, they'll say that something needs to be done, we can do it better, we can do it smarter, we have a plan, blah, blah, blah. Sounds good in soundbites, but they never say how they'll do it smarter or better, what needs to be done, and/or show they're 'plans'. The few times they have mentioned what their plan is, it was basically what the President was already doing (Iraq comes to mind)..." (PH: yet more good analysis, backed up with data including source link... I think I'm detecting a pattern here);
#461 "..Recent polls don't look too good for Hillary. That said, I think if she wants to be the Pres candidate, they'll do whatever they need to to get it for her, with the help of the MSM. One of her biggest issues IMHO is going to be answering questions - - something she's never done - - -everything has to be scripted for her and in a Presidential campaign, it may be difficult to avoid questions (though I suspect the MSM will help her)..." (PH: ... oh, you know the drill...);
#511 "Here are a couple of articles on the ports:..." (PH: ditto);
#565 "I agree w you. It's up to the shareholders of the companies and whether or not the sale meets regulatory requirements... It would be the same if an American co was going to take over a UK company - it would be up to the shareholders. I'm not sure if the contracts w the ports are done locally, in which case, it seems it would need to be approved by the local authorities or if they are national contracts. In either case, I would think that Homeland Security would need to be involved because of security, customs control, etc..." (PH: ditto);
#591 "I'll admit I haven't given this issue a lot of thought yet. While I can see the side of those that argue against this purchase from a security standpoint, I was having a difficult time undestanding on what grounds Congress could getinvolved (I may be missing something, but don't see how they fit in, except if they pass a law that no foreign companies can operate US ports)... This angle makes more sense to me - it appears it could be a breach of contract. I suspect there is non-assignment language in their agreement that specifically spells out that the contract cannot be assigned without their express written approval and/or that it cannot be assigned to certain governments or companies under certain governments. Based on the last sentence below, there is also probably language in it wrt strict security regulations with which they don't feel they comply and thus they would be in breach of contract...." (PH great post, including good back up article but... I'm shocked, shocked I tell you! No link! <g>);
#599 "I think you're right in that Splash still pulls a lot of weight (pun intended) in the Dim party. He's not Hitlery's only worry though. In addition to the ones mentioned I posted in the other article, here are some additional ones: Columns Hillary's hurdles... " (PH: phew, I'm so relieved. We're back to links for the spot on background information... I was worried for a moment);
#600 "Did you see the end of Wolfie's show in which he showed the MTP clip? He let Maureen get out all the DNC talking points and didn't show Mary's clip slapping her down - showed another briefer clip of Mary - no media bias, nah!" (PH: OK, now we're branching out into a new style entirely);
#608 "OK, so we knew all week that 'secretive admin' was going to be one of the DNC talking points this week (though, if IIRC they've used it for sometime, at least since the NSA terrorist survellience became official). Pelosi, Dean, Reid, Boxer, Hitlery have all used it as have others. It's now 'official' Bubba just came out w it too. Pot-kettle... Clinton: Secrecy Sparked Shooting Reaction:.." (PH: that's right, rub it in that I missed the spin on this meme....); #"Someone made a post about the MSM not dropping the Cheney story this week and linked it to Drudge (sorry, I don't remember who the FReeper was and can't find the post right now)... Here's the link to the story on Drudge... MAIN PRESS PLANS ANOTHER WEEK OF CHENEY SHOOTING COVERAGE..." (PH: provides the FR discussion of the Drudge story plus links to the Newsweek and Time stories, including excerpts);
#680 "...The WH press corpse (mis-spelled on purpose)..." (PH: great zinger);
#696 "As I mentioned in another post, it's been clear for a while now (I think since the NSA surveillance issue came out) that one of the DNC talking points has been 'secretive administration'. I've been trying to do some research on it, but not having a lot of luck. I do remember many of the Dims and MSM using 'secretive'. I'd like to suggest that we add that as a keyword anytime it's used in an article or by a Dim. Not only that word, but other words/terms that appear to be DNC talking points. By doing so, we could track back and see who was using them and how much - - might come in handy. Maybe this is already done, but I couldn't find it's widely done.";
#706 "FYI - FTN - Schieffer and Frist on Cheney... Bill Frist's Cheney Defense Leaves Bob Schieffer Fuming" (PH: good catch, with link to relevant FR thread (of course)... how do you do this? Admit it, you're a computer program set to monitor FR);
#729 "I think we will go our own way and cover the stories that are important to us - Able Danger and the Barrett Report are 2 of them. I also think Tony, Rush, Levin and the others will do the same, especially if they hear from us. The Saddam tapes is one that needs to be covered more fully, with the correct translation and not the edited one that ABC used to support their agenda..." (PH: YES!!!! this is what I think may be the perfect post - the right arguments, the right conclusions, the right documentation - this is not something that, in and of itself, will work miracles - it's much more important than that - this post is the template we should all strive for - well done!!!!);
#774 "Here's what the port of Seattle is doing:..";
#805 "The MSM (e.g., NY and/or LA Slimes) didn't cover the gore story, but at least there were a few articles on it. I almost always enjoy Taranto and Cal Thomas..." (PH: just as
#729 might be the perfect template for an effective post,
#805 may be the perfect call to battle on a single issue - well done);

Second Place - Morgan in Denver, serious, reasoned and well thought out discussion posts advancing us beyond what was said on the shows (except for that "I love you" post.... unnnnngggggghhhhhhh! <g>) - note to Morgan in Denver, I will try to make this my last reference to THAT POST... promise - seriously, you have truly contributed significantly to the discussions for some time, but particularly this week - providing us with a framework to understand both sides of the argument is overwhelmingly valuable and your willingness to do this, regardless of your own point of view, speaks volumes about your intellectual integrity (is that laying it on just a bit thick? Well, stuff it, it's how I read these posts)

#111 "...I am sure the "tough and smart" comment is part of the plan to attack Republicans this year. Without saying what they would do differently, Democrats want us to believe they are, and would be, smarter in the fight against terrorism.";
#236 "I enjoy Neal Gabler. He fully represents the mindset of the left. I am sure Gabler actually believes what he says, which is scary if one realizes how crazy he is as he says things. Unlike Juan Williams who just parrots the DNC talking points, Gabler could write them.";
#271 "Hillary's motorcade ran over an airport cop and the media hardly gave it a minute of coverage. ...";
#344 "...The press cannot stand having an ethical White House. There is one indictment and this is the first administration that has not had numerous indictments over something. The media and Democrats have used the "everybody does it" excuse for so long that they are surprised it isn't so.";
#351 "...the mantra at the time was Bush was a dummy and Cheney was running everything. They are tied into that perception. They are giddy for going after Cheney as well, thinking they have to get rid of him before going after GWB. (Seems the left is still using the Nixon playbook.)";
#369 "Sandy Berger?" (PH: very funny - but also frightening - response to MNJohnnie's question "Gee wonder who Bayh would appoint to be Sec of Defense or AG?");
#566 "Reminds me of the story where the media interviewer was left speechless. He told Rummy he was taping the interview and Rumsfeld told him there was no need because DOD was taping the entire interview and would put it on their web site. As told, the reporter had no idea he would not be able to pick and choose the quotes he wanted to use and that the whole thing would be available to the public.";
#712 "For what it's worth I email some of the radio hosts and do get them to address the subject occasionally... I keep the e-mail to one issue or point. I am not inflammatory in my comments. I ask a question in the e-mail. And, I always put full contact information at the end so there is no question as to who's sending it..." (PH: good advice - taking the time to email the "power players" may be the emerging theme today - this could be important);
#855 "Just so you know, I think I love you. (I've informed my wife and she understands as long as I keep it long distance and never act it out.)" (PH: that's just WRONG! and the message was to me - check out my reply in 891 <g>);
#865 "My first reaction is to say read other posts. But, I'm beyond that... Look. If we trust Bush & Co. to do the right thing, this clearly falls into that category. Before I demonize Bush & Co., I'll listen to all the information and try to keep an open mind... I've seen some of your past posts, and you have every reason to be cautious and concerned. Me too, for that matter... Still, I'll wait for more information. Darn it, these things crop up and we react before learning more about it. No offense meant, but I'll wait for more information." (PH: very good summary of what appears to be the emerging FR position on the ports issue - trust but verify, and don't jump to conclusions - well said)

First Place - Peach, fabulous posts, analyzing and expanding on the shows, with much information (including links) that explain and support particular points - and post #674 goes above and beyond (and touches on a pet peeve of mine) - the fact that I was able to pull such brief sections of such excellent posts while still thinking that I had caught some telling point speaks volumes about the information in every post Peach makes. May I say BRAVO!!! ?

#61 "...We already see what Congress does with oversight...";
#75 "FNC: Dubai Arab group taking over 6 ports...";
#94 "Notice how the media isn't talking about the Saddam tapes...";
#104 "FNC showing Harry Reid saying this administration is the most secretive administration ever. How I wish that Chris Wallace would follow up with how Harry Reid let 3 days go by before informing anyone that he'd had a minor stroke.";
#120 "...What are we going to expect from the Washington press corp. when something really important happens? How are we going to trust them? They've been interviewing themselves and saying "how do you feel" and then Simpson puts his finger in his mouth like the international "gag me" symbol....";
#127 "The UN translators for those tapes says that ABC is not accurately reflecting what that segment says. Saddam actually says that a WMD attack is coming to America and he will use proxies so it can't be traced to Iraq.";
#199 "If someone on that panel doesn't talk about how the Clinton administration didn't level with people about the Travel office firings, Whitewater, Chinese being given technology illegally, etc." (PH: oh yeah! I missed that till I saw malia mention it in post #492, great comment) ;
#"228 It's just a talking point without any real basis in fact, snugs. What helped fuel it from the beginning, I think, is that Cheney held energy talks without releasing any information about them to the public and this reminded people too much about Hillary's secretive health care initiative....";
#250 "What I don't get is how Senators can be so ignorant of the facts...The United States has broad authority to use wiretaps and other surveillance techniques to hunt for suspected terrorists, a federal appeals court panel ruled Monday..." (PH: great catch, great link, as well);
#674 "If there is one area that Freepers are falling down on the job, and I include myself in this, it's that we don't call our legislators with information like the ex-UN translator who says that ABC did not use his translation about Saddam threatening the US by use of proxies... Similarly, I know that I don't e-mail the radio hosts often enough with stories I'd like to see them discuss more often.";
#883 "Here you go; a few freepers heard this on the Sean Hannity show as well: ... ABC news reported that Saddam said a WMD attack was coming to America, but it wouldn't be by Iraq. The actual translation that ABC hid is that Saddam said HE would use proxies so it couldn't be TRACED to Iraq..." (PH: including a link to the FR thread discussing the Saddam tapes - excellent background info for this topic - we've got this one nailed, now we just have to make sure everyone else knows about it);

As well, I am proposing that a Special FreeRepublic Award be given to Alan Simpson for his closing line on FNS

"All you get from the press corps is controversy, crap and confusion."

first mentioned in post #120 by Peach, then commented on by animal172 #126, Laverne #122 "Simpson is wonderfully refreshing on the show today with Wallace. If you haven't seen it, make sure you catch the rerun.", Mo1 #125 "The 3 C's ... LOL", old_sage_says #129 "Wouldn't it be wonderful to see that quote as a headline, somewhere?", maggief #138 "that's a great tagline", beyond the sea #217;

Anybody know how to get in touch with (ex) Senator Simpson? C'mon! Wyoming only has 300,000 people in it! Somebody has to have an "in!"

ce fini - I am done - have at it