The Media: Reason To Be ‘Scared’ Of Obama?
By K. Daniel Glover | June 9, 2009
If you haven't received the "You scare me" letter to President Obama by now, you'll probably be getting it by e-mail soon.
The open letter sounds like something that's too good to be true, but it is. Snopes, the watchdog of all Internet myths and legends confirmed its authenticity with the man who wrote the letter, former Proctor & Gamble vice president Lou Pritchett. (Hat tip to Instapundit)
The open letter puts Obama in a unique category -- the first president of 13 in Pritchett's lifetime who has ever truly scared him. It decries Obama's policy positions on everything from health care and energy policy to fiscal and regulatory policy; his "blame America" mindset; his lack of experience (in military and business); his background ("culturally you are not an American"), his ties to "radical extremists who hate America"; and his lack of humility.
Pritchett also directed some of his ire indirectly at the media: "You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do." And he blasted Obama for his attempts to "demonize" conservative critics, including talking heads Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck.
Ironically, the Obama-loving media did its part to suppress the letter. Pritchett said he first sent the open letter to Obama to The New York Times, but the newspaper neither acknowledged nor published the letter.
Pritchett then bypassed the filter of the liberal media and took his message straight to the people via the Internet. He told Snopes that "experts" said the letter has been seen by more than 500,000 people as a result. The audience snowball is sure to increase in size as the open letter continues its viral roll.
Let that be a lesson to you, conservatives. In the information age, we don't need the media because we can be the media. Journalists are certainly no reason to be scared of Obama in this era.
K. Daniel Glover is a project manager for Accuracy In Media. He has worked as an editor, writer and new media specialist in the Washington area since 1991, spending most of that time at National Journal and Congressional Quarterly.
26 Comments | Post a Comment
I posted this on a blog on sodahead.com and still receiving comments. Most people are agreeing with everything Mr. Pritchett said. I do too. Thanks for a great news site
I commend Mr. Pritchett’s letter, much of what many of us have been discussing, plus more right here on AIM. We have been debating the far left who want to destroy this country.
The first and last time I read the Constitution, it was ‘We the People’ the Government worked for, seems as though obama has changed that, so I must ask, where is SCOTUS on this?
Must be tough going through life every day “scared”.
I hope everything he does turns out well - because if it does - we ALL do well! And, if it doesn’t, it won’t be the end of the world - because somebody else and his/her administration can be put in the office in 2012 to try to correct the situation - just as happened in 2008. Of the 44 presidents to date, some were very good and some were very bad - and a bunch were mediocre - and, yet, we’ve survived these 219 years.
In the end, they say people living in a democracy get the quality of government they deserve.
I for one am not afraid.
However, I we will boycott every business of which obama has bailed out, we have already closed all accounts with B of A.
It is possible the Anti-Christ has arrived under the guise of a president.
Re: Post 5;
The “Anti-Christ”? Do you not have any real-world limits, Wes? The “Anti-Christ”? (And you say you’re “not afraid”?)
You should boycott the businesses Obama bailed out because the mooks that ran those businesses caused this economic meltdown - not because Obama bailed them out.
And, note, just as an example, Obama bailed out AIG - and if he had let AIG fail - dozens of millions of average people would have lost their life insurances, annuities, 401ks, etc. So - his bailing out of AIG was for the benefit of the customers of AIG - NOT AIG itself and its personnel. The same is true to varying degrees for most of the companies that the government has bailed out - including the automakers.
Boycott those businesses - but at least have the b**ls to boycott them for the RIGHT reason!
Yes, I also agree that Mr Pritchett has listed the reasons that so many of us are scared. That was a GREAT letter!! THANKS so much to him and I will be sharing this letter with everyone that I know. And thanks to AIM for helping to keep us so informed !
If obama would exit from involving the government from changing the rules of Chapter 11 work as intended, everyone would be better off. That is what Chapter 11 if for, to protect the Debtors and Bond holder first in line to get their money. With the Obama version of Chapter 11, now the Unions come out on top, up to the point of giving the Unions part or half ownership of the companies. leaving out major Bond Holders who have invested the most, it is their money, not the Unions.
The Executive Branch does not have the right to restructure Chapter 11 filings, Unions workers are also safe, but obama wants the unions to be owners, the first every in history. Just more socialism being forced on all of Americans keeping these companies alive, the Law says pay back the Bond Holders first.
Another thing we should be afraid of, it that Obama lied about his religion, and has now come out as Pro Muslim, including his own faith.
The story titled:
Obama’s 180 on Islam
Can be found here:
Re: Post 9;
Would you have voted against Kennedy, too, because he was a Catholic - and because people in your neck of the woods were insisting that, because he was Catholic, the U.S. would actually be governed by the Pope and the Vatican?
How about political candidates that might be Mormon, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian Scientist, Scientologist or even avid Atheist? Are you prejudiced against them ALL? (And, do you realize that Islam reveres Mary and Jesus?)
And, just an aside: Did you ever hear about the concept of “checks and balances” in our government?
Islam also says it is alright to use infidels as slaves, and it is not a sin for a Muslim to kill them. And yes, I have read the Quran, it was mandatory for the (over) six years I had to work in Libya and other Muslim countries. Jesus is recognized, but as a minor prophet. Mary was only recognized as the Mother of Jesus.
I would vote for any race/religion which is not oppressive, controlling, MUST obey the Constitution without question, and never try to change it on their own. Remove any Judge who legislates from the bench.
**Eliminate all Sub Prime Mortgages
**It is essential there is pro free market and a capitalism.
**Cannot be Far Right or Far Left, a President should recognize and represent even those who did not vote for him/her.
**Keep our military strong, and allow them new technologies
**Never favor one race/group over another
**Enforce our immigration laws
**News is News, it souled always tell the truth about what happens, or is said, and never take sides.
**Abolish Activists and Lobbyists
**If we are going to have ‘Hate Crimes’ include all races, whites as well.
**Keep the Government out of States, unless requested.
**EVERY politician from Local, State, Government, or Presidential candidates should always be vetted, if not subjected to polygraphs before they can run for office, to ensure honesty.
**Institute Tort Reform, eliminate frivolous law suits. As in the U.K., if frivolous law suits are filed and loose, they must pay for the amount they are suing for…
**Must be a certified US Citizen with a Photo ID before a vote can be cast.
**Non partisan voting places and vote counters. Voter ID numbers should be on all ballots, electronic, manual, and mail-in ballots, Military ballots, and the registration forms be English Only.
**Duplicate votes, votes by dead people must be updated no less than a month before an election and added to the rolls, any attempt to cast a false ballot would have an automatic 2 year prison sentence.
**Force the mainstream media of all outlets, to report everything equally and without bias, or lose their jobs, and disallowed to ever be part of any media again. Reporters, journalists, news readers on television must never show bias, such as impugning a Republican, Independent, or Democrat when one does the same as another and not reported.
**Lying to Congress is a crime, thus Pelosi should be censured and investigated and get this issue cleared up once and for all.
**Convicted pedophiles should be sentenced to a minimum of 8 years or more. Cocaine users receive a higher sentence than child rapists.
Avid Atheists, almost always have an agenda, and must not be allowed to run for president unless they can prove to be unbiased. The same is true for religious candidates who try to impose their absolute rule according to their religion.
I did in fact vote for JFK, however if Catholic candidates are pro abortion, then no, that would prove they are disingenuous and dishonest. Just as when Nancy Pelosi visited the Pope at Vatican City, and asked the Pope if he would force her Priest allow her communion the told her no as long as she was pro abortion, that is the Churches right.
TK also asked “And, just an aside: Did you ever hear about the concept of “checks and balances” in our government?”
**Of course I do; however there are none in this current Administration, for instance, Obama now has 20 czars he has hired, these people do not require vetting, or conformation yet they have power. At this point in time, there are absolutely no checks and balances, if so…who are they?
As for the German Nazi immigrant’s son, who opened fire at the Holocaust Museum and killed a guard, if he lives he should get the death penalty without delay if found guilty, and he will be, he is 88 years old, I would not let him see 88.
The same is true for the black American who became a Muslim, should also receive the death penalty for killing a very young military recruiter, and wounding the other, he is a domestic terrorist. If not the death penalty, then they should get life without possibility of parole in solitary confinement. (That is 23 hours per day in a cell.) What makes this crime so much more important, is that the MSM ignored it completely.
Hate crimes should also protect white people, every race needs to be equal.
When our police violate, or take the law into their own hands, and found guilty need to serve time, not just kicked off the force. They are no different than other citizens who do the same crimes, in fact it is worse since they swear to Protect and Serve.
Re: Post 11;
I’ll tell you what, Wes. In theory, I can agree with many of your points - although some would be considered “undemocratic”, some would be considered “dictatorial”, some would be considered “off the wall” - and most are, unfortunately, impractical or unenforceable.
I don’t like fundamentalist Islam or any fundamentalist form of any religion. (Remember - my BIG thing is distaste for extremism in ALL things.)
I don’t care much for “legislating from the bench”, but there’s no way to define that, let alone enforce it.
There has to be some way to allow for “sub-prime loans” and credit cards (besides simply charging usurious interest).
I certainly agree that we SHOULD NOT have politically extreme presidents.
For the last 25 years, I have fervently hoped that existing immigration laws would be stringently enforced.
I would love to see the abolition of lobbyists; serious campaign finance reform (and shorter and more formalized campaigns); thorough PUBLIC vetting of election candidates; greater emphasis on states’ rights; tort reform and elimination of all statutes favoring “the lawyering business”; and tighter voting oversight and REQUIRED “full recounts” in any controversy.
I can go along with your “hate crime” ideas, as well as a national ID card.
And I am definitely in favor of the “objective, fair, balanced and accurate reporting of the news” - but, for that to be REQUIRED - there would have to be some kind of “fairness doctrine” applicable to all media (which I could live with) - and some practical way to enforce it. (Naturally, the “enforcers” would be charged with “censorship”!)
I’m not going to go on, item for item, but, while some of your points might be desirable in one form or another, putting many of them in place is probably a pipedream.
If I had to pick only two from your list that I would REALLY like to see: One would be the thorough PUBLIC vetting of ALL election candidates, combined with campaign finance and campaign rules reform; and, two, some kind of statutory “fairness doctrine” that would require at least broadcast journalism to return to the original “Code of Ethics In Journalism” (with penalties for failure to conform). The problem? Who is going to do the enforcement - and who will select the enforcers?
Anyway, don’t ever say I NEVER agree with anything you say. And - somewhere along the way - you SHOULD RETURN THE FAVOR!
Good for Mr. Pritchett. This is the measure of a true man who will stand up to this Marxist and in the face of public scrutiny for the truth. As Robert E. Lee said “There is a true glory and a true honor. The glory of duty done and the integrity of principle.”
America is under attack on all fronts by liberal madness. If true conservative patriotic God fearing constitutionally minded Americans do not stand up for what is historically truthful and good, then our children will only hear the stories of the America we grew up in. It is time to take our country back from these maniacs.
Diane,
If you get this message, our posting on:
http://www.aim.org/don-irvine-blog/doh-biden-admits-w.h.-misread-the-economy
...has been stopped, it seems as though the attack on you by TK had the posting stopped. I can no longer comment there.
We are now on:
Re: Post 14;
Your posts get nuttier and nuttier!
And more and more obsessive.
Talking with AIM as to why I could not post there any longer, that was the answer I received, they also confirmed that you are changing topics on almost every thread, and that you lack decorum.
Not my words…
Re: Post 16;
Well, the people in my office who read these posts and yuk it up over over some of the outlandish stuff posted here - are in 100% agreement that YOU ALWAYS CHANGE THE TOPIC - and that you sometimes do it two or three times in the same sentence or paragraph.
And, the people in my office (who laugh at a lot of these posts as a workday diversion) continuously ask how I am able to exercise such restraint (decorum?) in responding to some of the nasty and vile nutcases who attack me here for no reason.
So, there you are.
Not my words.
That is because you are either lying, or they equally dense.
Without using your ID here or the site name, a I will send one of your posts (where you were attempting to be serious) to a morning segment on the Fox Morning show called “Dumb things read on the Internet” where they read three or four emails, it was so ridiculous it will also be sent to CNN’s Lou Dobbs.
But what really disturbs me is, you had no comment when I posted this:
From the White House website:
—————
There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
——————
Even some on the MSM are saying this has gone too far, it has members from all parties outraged, even being accused of compiling a list. The ACLU is even getting involved; it has caused protests with Democrat, Republican and Independent voters standing together. Reporters at the White House briefing this morning, Robert Gibbs would only say that the President had no comment.
-Regarding the Cash for Clunkers program, how many people are aware this is Tax Payer dollars. However so far, the biggest beneficiaries of the program is Ford at #1, then the next 8 are foreign built autos, with GM coming in last. Now that is funny, the only auto maker who did not take a Bail Out is out selling every other auto company.
Back to the Town Hall meetings, with Pelosi and commercials the DNC, are telling people these are staged by the RNC…with Pelosi saying some were carrying signs with Nazi logo’s on signs, of which every piece of film she based her claim on, there were no Nazi emblems or signs.
The President has told all Democrats to cancel their town hall meetings. This has outraged those democrats who voted for them in the first place are now vowing to vote for the opposition.
Healthcare and spending have had 69% of Independents are changing parties to Republican, I do not see a way out of this for the Dems, since they are being attacked by the very same people who put them on office.
In the event you have not heard yet…
Jury finds ex-congressman guilty on 11 counts
“Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, a Harvard-educated lawyer who grew up in one of the poorest regions in the country to serve 18 years in Congress, was convicted Wednesday of 11 counts of public corruption.
A federal jury found Jefferson guilty of bribery, conspiracy, fraud, money laundering and racketeering. The panel agreed with prosecutors that Jefferson used his office to orchestrate a criminal enterprise that spanned two continents.
U.S. Justice Department officials called the conviction critical to the fight against public corruption.”
He got 150 years to run concurrently with the highest sentence of 20 years, he was facing up to 245 years.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/52566932.html
Would that not also apply to about two thirds or more of our entire US Government right now, and everyone in the Administration?
WOW-that is intense! I am so creeped out at the (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) website…I sent the brown shirts there a solid piece of history and a very big nanny nanny poo poo…lol…trust me, it was far worse than this!
Re: Post 18;
Well, I’m unquestionably certain of the truth of the people’s opinions in my office - - but I would probably have to defer to your personal expertise on “lying” and “dense”.
And, as far as extremist and ideological partisanship goes - I will certainly agree with your comment: “...this has gone too far, it has members from all parties outraged ...”
Some of the nutcase and wingnut stuff being written, verbalized and spread around SHOULD cause “outrage” in reasonable, thinking and relatively intelligent people - and those extremists, whether on the Right or the Left, should be excoriated, scorned and ostracized. The people engaging in this ideological extremism are a cancer on the attempt to achieve good governance.
I AGREE WITH YOU on this issue!
Re: Post 19;
ALL criminal conduct should be prosecuted.
However, if you’re going to politicize this - you should go back, say, 10 or more years, and list EVERY member of the congress and/or the administration at the time, together with their infractions, alleged or proven, who have been involved in criminal investigations and prosecutions.
Obviously, one would (probably correctly) have to guess that those investigated and prosecuted were equally divided between the two major political parties.
Did Obama Break the Law
Darren Johnson
-AP
The White House is asking individuals to report misinformation to the White House on healthcare.
Specifically, the White House said:
“There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
According to 5 U.S.C. § 552a, United States agencies, including the Executive Office of the President shall, “maintain no record describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained or unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity.”
The White House may take the position that certain of its offices aren’t subject to the Privacy Act (that is a longstanding Office of Legal Counsel position, see here), but most Presidents instruct their staffs to comply. This will be a the first significant time any White House has ignored the Privacy Act and may open President Obama up to litigation.
This is another example of the Obama administration ignoring long time precedent when it is no longer convenient for them. And ignoring this precedent lets them collect data on and potential harassment individual American citizens.
The (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) email address is not subject to Freedom of Information Act requests. Some enterprising legislator should introduce legislation to make it subject to the FOIA.
In a town hall meeting in Tampa, Florida. Close to 1,500 people came to Ybor City to attend the town hall-style meeting on health care and insurance reform featuring Democratic State Rep. Bette Reed and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor before the event exploded into a near riot.
According to local media reports, the larger-than-expected crowd gathered outside the Hillsborough County Children’s Board building where several hundred people, mostly in opposition to government health care, began to loudly chant and scuffle with organizers posted at doorways after the auditorium filled to capacity. People wearing SEIU, AFL-CIO and ACORN shirts, began harassing and shoving the Town Hall attendees, several both Democrat and Republican voters have said they were filing lawsuits, their evidence was captured on camcorders, cell phone video, pictures, and local media covering the event depict the organizers, including the elderly were confronted with violence. Several people were injured; Police Officers arrested many of the Union Members for engaging in violent behavior, including rough treatment of women and senior citizens”
“Liberal organizers had attempted to allow early admission to those who were seen as favorable to health care plans making their way through Congress, but Reed denied the accusations, saying those brought in were organizers helping to set up the town hall. It is my understanding many of the organizers claimed to be Obama’s Civilian Police.”
“The Local 100 SEIU and ACORN share a building, the SEIU has over 2 Million members, also on Thursday, the AFL-CIO announced plans to mobilize labor activists to attend and control town hall meetings in 50 congressional districts this month to counter the democrat and republican protesters.”
Re: Post 23;
Your paragraph: (By the way - what is the source of the paragraph? Very likely, you weren’t there and so this would not be a first-hand account.)
“...According to local media reports, the larger-than-expected crowd gathered outside the Hillsborough County Children’s Board building where several hundred people, mostly in opposition to government health care, began to loudly chant and scuffle with organizers posted at doorways after the auditorium filled to capacity. People wearing SEIU, AFL-CIO and ACORN shirts, began harassing and shoving the Town Hall attendees, several both Democrat and Republican voters have said they were filing lawsuits, their evidence was captured on camcorders, cell phone video, pictures, and local media covering the event depict the organizers, including the elderly were confronted with violence. Several people were injured; Police Officers arrested many of the Union Members for engaging in violent behavior, including rough treatment of women and senior citizens”...”
First of all - this is the result of lack of CORRECT information among the people and the circulation of a plethora of false information, misinformation and disinformation.
Second - this is what total political polarization and blind political partisanship lead to.
Third - this kind of polarization creates an environment where latent and/or overt personal hatreds - based on personal political, economic, social and cultural biases and prejudices - rule.
Both political parties need to make a concerted effort to rid themselves of their respective extremist jerks, morons and imbeciles - and take measures to disavow mindless partisanship, inciteful behavior, and willful polarization.
In this instance, this is what “The Party of No” begets - amplified by the incessant “inciting to riot”-style of divisiveness of the provacateurish a**holes like Limbaugh and his ilk.
If this kind of polarization is going to continue to be promoted - or even accepted - by the two major political parties - then we might as well have “The New Civil War” RIGHT NOW and get it over with!
It is a disgusting disappointment to me to see supposedly adult, ostensibly informed and self-described patriotic American citizens behaving like this. If the extremists in each political party continue to call the shots - we will soon degenerate into the biggest Banana Republic of all!
All this crap over a legislative proposal that is not yet detailed, fleshed out nor even remotely ready for any kind of joint congressional action!
This is what the unchecked partisanship over the last 15 years has led us to! And make no mistake: that blind partisanship - even if coming from minorities within the parties - has been winked at and accepted by the leadership of each party.
Let’s split the damned country into two, each with its own government: the Red States of America and the Blue States of America!
Or - back we go to the vitriol and division of 1968!
Post 24:
I gave credit to the news organization who wrote the article I posted in #23, to the proper source, the Associated Press.
No one said you had to like or believe it…as for going back in time, I would prefer 1960. When people were polite, hardly any crime and even Democrats had Common Since with Patriotism. Before LBJ sent more soldiers to death than any modern president, Vietnam made Iraq and Afghanistan look a mild skirmish.
FYI-There are “two” Bi-Partisan Health Care Bills, which the Democrats will not even let come to the floor. Both will cover ALL Americans, cheaper drugs and health costs, and does what Obama said he wants, and at one-third of the cost.
But since Tort Reform is part of the package is the only reason it will not be considered. They love their lawyers.
Doctors by the thousands are quitting their practice to retire and work elsewhere. 46% of all college students studying the become Doctors, especially those studying to become specialist, are changing their Majors, or will continue till they get through the residency, if ObamaCare passes, many will move overseas to work in private clinics.
Another fact, 90 million and counting are have cancelled their AARP just for supporting social Health Care.
TK said: “Let’s split the damned country into two, each with its own government: the Red States of America and the Blue States of America!”
I may be changing my mind if Cap and Trade also passes, and join the “legal” succession of Texas to become it’s own country again. And if another Civil war broke out, you only have Obama and the Democrats to blame.
Texas is not Vermont, we have the resources to sustain our own country. I would hate to see that happen, but there is a thing called self preservation, and protecting the public against an out of control Government.
If the Blue Dog Democrats would stick to their principals, a succession would not be needed.
Ans stop believing everything you hear on the MSM and the Daily Kos.
Re: Post 25;
Your statement:
“...And if another Civil war broke out, you only have Obama and the Democrats to blame…”
No educated, informed, thoughtful, reasonable and open-minded person would make such a statement.
Extreme, blind partisanship and polarization would be to blame - not “Obama and the Democrats”.
Another totally false statement:
“... Another fact, 90 million and counting are (sic) have cancelled (sic) their AARP just for supporting social Health Care…”
You incessantly peddle such bulls**t as “fact” that here it never ceases to amaze.
+++ The AARP is a membership organization for people over the age of 50 (it used to be 55). The highest membership total EVER reported by the AARP was about 35 million.
+++ The TOTAL POPULATION of the U.S. AGED 50 and above is currently somewhere around 70 MILLION!
*** THEREFORE, YOUR STATEMENT “...Another fact ... 90 million and counting are (sic) have cancelled (sic) their AARP…” is really just another fallacy in the long line of totally unsubstantiated declarations you continually post here as “fact”.
You hear or see a pile of pure propaganda garbage somewhere - and you pick it up and post it here as quickly as you can just to make it seem that you know something! What a poser! A real phoney!
June 9 at 10:04 am | #1 | Link
Wow! This is an amazing letter, a great summation of what many of us fear regarding our President.
And I am so glad that Mr. Pritchett did not quit when the NYT refused to acknowledge or print his open letter.
I hope every American has the occasion to read this.
It is just so good to realize that one is not alone in their view of President Obama.
Thanks for all that you guys at Accuracy in Media do to keep us genuinely informed.