MediaMyopic

With the general election heating up, now is as good a time as any to engage in a bit of campaign finance voyeurism. If you’ve ever wanted to know the politics of your boss, your dentist, your little league coach, or even your third grade grammar teacher, no need to look further than a single Web site: FundRace.org. What is more, the site exposes the hidden biases (or in the case of Fox News, not-so-hidden biases) of our leading media moguls. Take Rupert Murdoch for example. He contributed $25,000 to the Republicans during the 2004 presidential election (though I suppose $25K is couch change to one the nation’s wealthiest men). And to be fair - and balanced (pun intended), Ted Turner did donate $1,000 to Joe Biden in 2006. I guess that makes me feel a little less guilty about my measly $50 donation to Obama. Now off you go to see if your peers are putting their money where their mouth is. But be forewarned: you may not like what you see. Unearthing the fact that my youth soccer coach is a Bush supporter felt a lot like the day I learned Santa Claus was make believe.

The Republicans continue to reign Supreme in the country’s highest court. Just days after ruling that $2.5 billion in oil spill damages was “excessive” for ExxonMobil, which reportedly posts more than $2 billion in revenue in a two-day span, the U.S. Supreme Court kowtowed to the GOP – and big business (the gun industry) – yet again. A 5-4 decision overturned a Washington, D.C. ban on handguns. After whining ‘less government’ for decades, Republicans have demonstrated that what they really meant to say less government only when referring to social services. The more government mantra gets the GOP nod when it serves the interests of the party. Less government would mean letting states, or in this case D.C., decide how best to govern. A friend also pointed out that this fallacy also exists in the gay marriage argument. It’s all about less government until someone opts for a lifestyle that differs from right-wingers: that’s when it’s time to go crying to the Supreme Court GOP machine. What Republicans really mean to say is more government, and less Medicaid, unemployment benefits, child support, welfare programs and taxes – anything that may help the less fortunate. Yes, Republicans, oftentimes less is more.

Elmo and his pals from Sesame Street have teamed up with the U.S. military for its latest video, “Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes,” which teaches children with parents deployed in Iraq how to cope with the changes at home. Naturally, the Pentagon has provided input into the video’s development. As if the video gaming industry and sports sponsorships weren’t enough, now we have the military’s messages reaching our youth just after passing the teething stage. Is anyone else ashamed we live in a country that has resorted to puppets in order to justify war and violence? I’d like to ask the producers of Sesame Street how handsomly the military is rewarding them for lending the likeness of Elmo and Rosita for, essentially, free propaganda. If there’s bucks to be made, perhaps we’ll see Barney or Blues Clues follow suit. Or Spongebob can release a commemorative video covering the fifth year anniversary of the Iraq War. Let’s limit the puppets to ABCs, 123s, and leave parenting to the parents — not the Pentagon.

For those of you, like myself, who have been skeptical of the soft Iraq war coverage of the last few years have had their worst fears confirmed. This week The New York Times revealed an extensive covert plot from the Pentagon that involved deploying close to 100 pseudo political ‘pundits’ with scripted pro-war propaganda aimed at controlling public opinion. And we’re not just talking about Fox News. The Times reports that these ‘pundits,’ or as the White House calls them, “message force multipliers,” infiltrated Fox, CBS, NBC, CNN, ABC and MSNBC news programs. These pundits were recruited by the Bush Administration to disseminate misleading war information and false praises of the U.S. war effort. The result is Bush’s most duplicitous breach of public trust since taking office. Gone is the watchdog role of the media, the Fourth Estate designed to safeguard our democratic virtues and keep public officials honest. If this violation of federal law, which prohibits government sanctioned covert propaganda, doesn’t warrant impeachment, then clearly the system is broken. If you care about safeguarding the integrity of information flow, act now and tell Congress that this is unacceptable.

Last summer the Vatican announced the 10 Commandments for motorists. In May it amended the church’s list of sins to include harming Mother Earth, joining the ranks of gluttony, envy, sloth and other less desirable traits. It’s nice to see this modernizing of religious principle, but Pope Benedict XVI conveniently omitted ‘thou shall not indulge.’ In a society so preoccupied with consumerism, industry and progress, why not chime in on our lifestyle of excess? Perhaps that’s because, according to Newsweek, the Pope’s visit to Washington, D.C. earlier this month was marred by the peculiar decision to sport Prada shoes. Perhaps it’s a desire to stimulate the local Italian economy or, Pope Benedict XVI is simply a label whore. For those of you, like myself, who have never stepped foot in a Prada store, a pair of men’s shoes will typically cost you between $300-400. With unprecedented levels of poverty in the world, and an increasing divide between rich and poor, I’d be curious to know how Mother Theresa or Gandhi would feel about the lavish wardrobe. It certainly makes me think twice when the Catholics come by with their second collection basket at Sunday Mass.

Maybe it’s the sunny spring weather or the art of accepting defeat with grace. But, more likely, it’s the possibility of the vice presidency that puts the bickering among losing presidential candidates on the back burner. It’s the time of year where those who have bowed out get political by coyly deflecting any notion of their desire for the White House. John Edwards, for one, has denied that he would accept a second nod for vice president – yet, strangely, refuses to endorse the two remaining Democratic candidates. Those who are indifferent to serving as vice president do not withhold endorsements; those who hope to serve in that capacity wait out the results of a clear nominee before praising a particular candidate. It remains unclear whom McCain will choose from the GOP’s Island of Misfit Toys. It is also doubtful that – now Clinton’s embarrassing fall from grace includes Geraldo (Rivera)-esque fabrications of landing amidst sniper shooting in Bosnia – the Obama-Hillary ticket will ever evolve. But Obama was quoted last week as saying he’d offer Al Gore, who claims to have “fallen out of love” with politics, a cabinet position. And that’s the best idea I’ve heard since these overly saturated presidential campaigns began.

The image of Silda Spitzer, a successful, driven and seemingly independent woman, stand belittled at the podium beside her husband Eliot Spitzer as he revealed — to his constituency and the world — his philandering with prostitutes, is a rather unsettling one given this period in time. While I’m not one to tout feminist theory, I certainly expect more from women given the progress made since the 60s. And women should be ashamed of her — not because she was the root of the conflict for ‘not pleasing her man,’ as quack Laura Schlessinger suggested, — but because she’s treating infidelity with such nonchalance. Today marriage is more of a mirage, a front or political manuever (as Hillary Clinton has shown us) rather than an act of sanctity. When were relationships reduced to PR moves? There should have been one person at that podium facing the repercussions of his actions. And the issue is far from isolated: new NY Governor David Paterson recently admitted to a number of extramarital affairs, and Chelsea Clinton snapped at a Butler University student who questioned Hillary’s decision to ’stand by’ Bill after getting busy with an overweight intern sporting a beret. Ah well, at least Tammy Wynette’s singing your praises.

Remember when the War in Iraq used to be a hot topic in the media? Yeah, me neither. Five years after invading Iraq under the guise of ‘terrorism,’ the military is no closer to an exit strategy or to winning the war, for that matter. And mainstream media can’t be bothered. More U.S. soldiers succumbed to roadside bombs last week, bringing the total troop fatality close to 4,000; meanwhile a suicide bomber took the lives of 40 plus civilians and injured 60 others. According to Newsweek, Republican presidential nominee John McCain has vowed to stay in Iraq another 100 years, if that’s what it takes to ensure victory. The hubris isn’t much better on the Democratic side; during her victory speech after the Ohio and Texas primaries, Hillary Clinton promised to ‘win’ the war. First, somebody needs to define ‘win.’ Secondly, Clinton began her campaign with the false promise of implementing an exit strategy within 60 days of taking office. But my frustration with the lack of Iraq dialogue subsided, momentarily, when I caught this sketch (below) on MADtv. At least the comedians got it right.

True or false, everything makes Fox news these days. And now the conservative network has taken sensationalism to a whole new level since Rupert Murdoch’s MySpace acquisition. Every time a child goes missing, or a school endures another ‘bloody melee,’ Fox reports the most minute details on the victims and villains — their favorite song, background information, and personality inferences. Where do they get this information? Not family. Not friends. Not even opportunistic neighbors looking for a few seconds on the camera. Fox’s most tapped into source is MySpace, a site where: 1) someone can make a page about anyone they want to. 2) Pages can be inactive for several years, with out-of-date information. 3) People can manipulate other pages by posting misleading pictures or inaccurate information. And 4) Viewers can misinterpret sarcastic pop culture references or inside jokes among friends. Fox’s coverage of former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer’s fall from grace was emblematic of the absurdity. The network’s stories of the hooker Spitzer sought services from, Ashley Dupre, relied solely on the woman’s MySpace page — the latest fact-gathering shortcut of Fox ‘journalists.’ The famous “a source told Fox” has been replaced with “according to MySpace.”

The anti-corruption bully of New York has proven, once again, that Democrats prefer sex scandals over fiscal scandals. Speaking at a press conference earlier today, Governor Eliot Spitzer admitted his involvement in an extensive prostitution ring. According to the New York Times, court documents name Spitzer in the Emperors Club VIP ring — a club that charges up to $5,500 an hour for its whores. The extent of his involvement, at this point, remains unclear. What politicians do in their private lives doesn’t concern me — and shouldn’t concern you – but this behavior is problematic, particularly in a presidential election year, because the right-wing spin doctors are standing by with their appeals of moral majority and family ‘values.’ Thankfully, Spitzer  isn’t running a presidential campaign but incidents like these only fuel the fire of the right.