Skippy the Bush Kangaroo has some harsh words for CNN’s relatively new segment “Inside the Blogs” that runs during Judy Woodruff’s “Inside Politics.” For those who have been fortunate enough to miss it, Skippy has a quick summary: “During this small 2 minute piece, ‘blog reporter’ Jacki Schechner and producer Abbi Tatton sit at two computers and read blogs. That’s right. They sit there and read blogs. Out loud.” Impressed? Neither is Skippy. “Yes, it’s everything that television was meant to be. It’s almost as entertaining as watching Don Imus do his radio show.”
Skippy is also not amused that “during the past 15 days, ‘Inside the Blogs’ has mentioned, quoted, or otherwise referenced literally twice as many conservative blogs as liberal blogs. And that’s with the widest possible definition of ‘liberal’ we can use with a straight face.”
Skippy’s interns dug up the facts, if you’re interested in checking them out. Yours truly gets a mention, and, according to Skippy’s far-reaching definition of “liberal,” we are classified as such (which will come as a surprise to the boss). Skippy signs off, “But what are we surprised at? That CNN gives twice as much time to conservatives as liberals? Please. What were we expecting? Journalism?”
Journalism, or the alleged lack thereof, has got James R. Rummel of Chicagoboyz.net whipped up over coverage of the self-defense and firearms issue. Specifically, Rummel believes guns are “demonized” by the press, which altogether ignores the fact that “firearms in the hands of average citizens save many more lives than are taken by criminals.” (No citation to back up that assertion.) He points to a recent incident in Texas involving a deranged man who opened fire on his wife, son and a nearby sheriff outside a courthouse. He killed his wife but a random bystander, Mark Wilson, who was also killed, managed to shoot the deranged man before he could get the son and sheriff.
Rummel continues “So Wilson was a hero that paid the ultimate price for trying to save lives. You’d think that this would be the focus of at least a few news stories. But Jeff at Alphecca finds that reporters seem to be more concerned with demonizing the gun used by the murderer than honoring an average American who showed more courage than anyone else at the scene.”
The Gutless Pacifist also has a bone to pick with some bloody coverage, in this case involving the recent Supreme Court decision to ban the execution of juveniles. He takes issue with an article that “used a victim’s father to say ‘My daughter was murdered in a cruel and unusal way.'” This misses the point, says the Gutless Pacificst. “No one doubts that a teenager murdered is ‘cruel and unusual’ — that’s why we as a society affirm convicting [sic] all murder allegations that are proved in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. But the issue at hand isn’t limiting teen violence — but rather not killing children for crimes that were committed when they were children.”
Uttering a line often heard around the CJR Daily office, the Gutless Pacifist laments, “The media … can’t live with ’em, and can’t shoot ’em in the head, either.”
Hairy Fish Nut brings us a link to our favorite Oklahoma conservative, Kyle Williams. We doubt anyone wants to take Kyle out, with the possible exception of Ann Coulter. Kyle writes:
Two things about Ann Coulter have always baffled me. Firstly, this whole physical attraction on the part of the Freepers and other conservatives. Why? Who knows. It makes no sense to me. Secondly, the fact that her hateful screeds and ad hominem attacks are treated with any respect. She tickles ears, she gets paid, and everyone’s happy, I guess.
Anyway, in her latest column, she takes two examples of media-hyped homosexuals associated with conservatism out of context. Then she creates a straw-man argument against, who else? liberals. It brings her readers.
Hairy Fish Nut keeps his commentary simple. “More Christian conservatives like him please.”
Best of luck with that search, Mr. Nut.
–Thomas Lang
Thomas Lang was a writer at CJR Daily.