An Agenda Driven Press Still Rules

In The Wall Street Journal, entitled "Press Corps Quagmire", William McGurn writes of the observations he made of the press and pundits who cover the White House beat. A former journalist, he served as speechwriter for President Bush. For him it was 'the other side of the notepad'.

McGurn focuses on three issues and how the press covered them. For all three, the president took a stand. In each case, the press and pundits spoke of his decision as stupid and of his stubbornness. And, in each case, the results are in and the president has been proven correct in his decisions. Any credit? No, of course not. It's an election year and the press is mid-swoon for change.

First, the tax cuts. After signing into law many tax cuts, families have lower tax rates, child credit has doubled, and the marriage penalty has been reduced. Small businesses have been helped (the very backbone of our economy), and the death tax is gasping for air. Remember the baying of the wolves in the press at the time? It's all about the 'rich', they said. The deficit will be shot to hell, and the economy will not recover from the end of the Clinton era recession. After the economy did start to come back to normal, then all of a sudden it was a 'jobless recovery."

What bunk. We've experienced, under President Bush, the longest period of consecutive job growth in our nation's history. This economic growth has provided record tax revenues and the deficit is being cut at unexpectedly rapid rates. And the crap about the rich being the beneficiaries, at the expense of the regular guy in Peoria? Regular guy will be guaranteed an increase of about $1,800 in taxes if the Democrats have their way and allow the cuts to sunset. As far as I know, all segments of society have children and benefit from those tax breaks. And, a farmer or small business owner who doesn't at all consider themselves 'rich' will not be happy that their loved ones will be stuck with estate taxes on the family farm or business. The value of a farm or business on paper is often completely different to cash in the bank.

And, last night, Obama did the usual liberal class bating. He said President Bush and his administration have a 'failed economic policies' history. That's not change. That's standard, classic liberal script.

And the next point is on stem cells. Remember the debate on embryonic stem cell research and federal funding for it? Private sector research continues and more power to them. But with federal dollars, the president was not in favor of using those dollars on embryonic stem cell research. Adult stem cell research? No problem. Turns out the president was correct. Through further research, now there is scientific proof that adult skin cells can be reprogramed to act like embryonic stem cells. So much for the gnashing of teeth and the bashing of the president's belief system. To hear the Dems speak in the 2004 election, the president himself was personally holding back the very scientific breakthroughs that would have people rising out of wheelchairs across the country and walking again. And, Claire McCaskill, D-MO, running for the Senate, used Michael J. Fox as her shill to push that agenda for her campaign.

And, finally, Iraq. Time and again, the arguments have been hashed out. The planning was not good after the fall of Baghdad, in record time by our magnificent military, and stuff happens. Now, the surge is working very well and yet, the Dems continue to paint every day as another failed day in Iraq. Obama is campaigning on the moot point that he was against the war in 2003. He didn't have a vote on it. And, still campaigning, he claimed just last night in Houston's Toyota Center, that he'll end the war in Iraq in 2009. When pressed on this promise, his top national security advisor, Susan Rice, formerly of the Bill Clinton administration, said this is only a 'goal'. Well, that's everyone's goal. Where's the change in that? And, why is the guy campaigning on a change agenda and new style of politics making promises he knows he won't keep? Susan Rice said Obama would listen to the military leaders on the ground. Sound familar?

The press is only now admitting to success in Iraq. It's an election year, you know.

Then there was a little interview with Bob Geldof in the Washington Times's Fishwrap section. Geldof was in Rwanda and hanging with the White House travel pool on Air Force One en route to Ghana. He was expressing anger towards the press for the lack of coverage of Bush's work to fight disease and poverty in Africa, sending billions of dollars there from America and through support at the U.N. "Mr. Bush, said Mr. Geldof, Has done more than any other president so far." "This is the triumph of American policy really, It was probably unexpected of the man. It was expected of the nation, but not of the man, but both rose to the occasion." "You guys didn't pay attention." That's an understatement.

So, as I watched the Space Shuttle Atlantis land this morning at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, I was struck as I always am at the magnificence of our country's abilities to pursue space development. Maybe someone should clue Michelle Obama into it all. I sure want her to be 'really' proud of her country.