Pliability Journalism

By JAMES TARANTO

More than 144 hours into Barack Obama's presidency, the economy is still in recession, the country is still at war, and in many parts of the country it's still cold outside. Citizens are growing impatient: Wasn't President Obama supposed to bring change?
Yet one institution has changed dramatically, and in a very short time: the press. After spending the Bush years as a voice of opposition, American journalists have by and large turned on a dime and become cheerleaders for the man in power.
A case in point is the Associated Press, perhaps the nation's premier "straight news" outfit. During the Bush years, the AP introduced a new reportorial idiom called "accountability journalism," whose goal is "to report whether government officials are doing the job for which they were elected and keeping the promises they make." Turns out they weren't.

(Full story at WSJ: Best of the Web Today)

Pelosi on Kids: They're an Economic Drain

1/27/2009

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights (www.catholicleague.org/)

"Now we have Pelosi arguing that the way to balance the budget is not by cutting expenditures, but by cutting kids."

NEW YORK (Catholic League) - Yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that it was necessary to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on family planning services in order to stimulate the economy. Pelosi maintained that “contraception will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.”

Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented as follows:

“Looks like the Democrats have abortion and contraception on the brain. Last week, President Barack Obama lifted restrictions on federal funds being used to promote and perform abortions overseas. Now we have Pelosi arguing that the way to balance the budget is not by cutting expenditures, but by cutting kids.  (Full story at Catholic Online)
 

Speaker Pelosi: contraception is good for the economy

From (CWNews.com)

 January 26, 2009

US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has made the novel argument that federal expenditures on birth control will spark the American economy. In an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC television, Pelosi, who is a Catholic, explained that increased spending on contraception "will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government"-- thereby implying that children are a burden to taxpayers. When Stephanopoulos asked the Speaker whether she was comfortable with that argument, she replied: "No apologies.

Pelosi attempts to justify funding for contraception in economic stimulus package

Washington DC, Jan 26, 2009 / 07:16 pm (CNA).- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in a Sunday interview tried to justify the inclusion of hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for contraceptives in the $825 billion economic stimulus package by claiming family planning services “reduce cost.”
Speaker Pelosi made her comments in an appearance on ABC’s This Week with host George Stephanopoulos.
Stephanopoulos asked how the expansion of “family planning services” could be considered an economic stimulus.  The Speaker replied:
“Well, the family planning services reduce cost. They reduce cost. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children's health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those - one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.”  (Full story at CNA)

Demographic Winter: "Schools will be turned into nursing homes. Playgrounds will become graveyards."

By John-Henry Westen

WASHINGTON, DC, January 26, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Celebrated columnist and pro-family leader Don Feder gave a jaw-dropping presentation on the coming 'Demographic Winter' at the Rose Dinner which closes the official March for Life festivities every year. Speaking to hundreds of attendees, Feder suggested that the demographic problem of worldwide declining birthrates "could result in the greatest crisis humanity will confront in this century" as "all over the world, children are disappearing."

"In the Western world, birthrates are falling and populations are aging," said Feder. "The consequences for your children and grandchildren could well be catastrophic."

Feder noted, "In 30 years, worldwide, birth rates have fallen by more than 50%. In 1979, the average woman on this planet had 6 children. Today, the average is 2.9 children, and falling."  He explained the situation noting, "demographers tell us that with a birthrate of 1.3, everything else being equal, a nation will lose half of its population every 45 years." (Full story at LifeSiteNews.com

The Vatican and the SSPX: why further talks are crucial

by Phil Lawler
Jan. 28, 2009 (CWNews.com) - The deplorable public statements by Bishop Richard Williamson, questioning the gravity of the Holocaust, have obscured the true importance of Pope Benedict's decision to lift the excommunications of the four bishops who head the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). So before we examine what has happened, we need to understand what has not:  (Full story at CWNews.com)