the things you believe you're seeing...

A study from the Project for Excellence in Journalism (a project from the Pew Research Center) about media exposure for the candidates. The results are no surprise;

Being a huge Mets fan I am thrilled with this news! Twins agree to deal Santana to Mets for prospects - USATODAY.com Twins agree to deal Santana to Mets for prospects The New York Mets have a reached a deal to acquire two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins. By Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY The New York Mets have agreed to a trade for two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, giving up four prospects to acquire the left-handed ace of the Minnesota Twins, according to two high-ranking Twins officials with knowledge of the talks and a person close to Santana. The deal is pending the Mets and Santana reaching agreement on a six- or seven-year contract extension and that Santana passes a physical; they have been granted a 48 to-72-hour window to do so. Santana has a no-trade clause that he will waive if agreement is reached on a contract extension. The Mets paid a high price in prospects to land Santana, agreeing to send the Twins outfielder Carlos Gomez and ...

While interviewing Ted Kennedy this morning Harry Smith of the CBS Early Show made this disgusting and outrageous comment; HARRY SMITH: When you see that enthusiasm [for Obama] though, and when you see the generational change that seems to be taking place before our eyes, does it make you at all fearful? SMITH: I just, I think what I was trying to say is, sometimes agents of change end up being targets, as you well know, and that was why I was asking if you were at all fearful of that.

Military Blames UFO Reports on Jet Drills - AOL News

Tentative Deal Is Reached on Stimulus Plan By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: January 24, 2008 Filed at 10:53 a.m. ET WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic and Republican congressional leaders reached a tentative deal Thursday on tax rebates of $300 to $1,200 per household and business tax cuts to jolt the slumping economy. Congressional officials close to the negotiations said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio reached agreement in principle in a telephone call Thursday morning. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the two wanted key members of their parties to sign off on the accord before any announcement. The development came as the Bush administration, which also has been pushing for a deal, said agreement seemed imminent. ''Our understanding is there is no final deal yet but they are making progress,'' presidential spokeswoman Dana Perino said early Thursday. Pelosi, D-Calif., agreed to drop increases in food stamp and...

I thought that global warming, oh I'm sorry, climate change, anyway I thought that one of those things was the reason for all for the terrible hurricanes we had in 2005. Not so fast! Study on hurricanes, warming creates storm Controversial data tie warmer temps to wind shear, which inhibits cyclones WASHINGTON - Global warming could reduce how many hurricanes hit the United States , according to a new federal study that clashes with other research. The new study is the latest in a contentious scientific debate over how manmade global warming may affect the intensity and number of hurricanes. So the reason we had so many hurricanes on 2005 was global warming and the reason we had so little hurricanes in 2006 and 2007 was global warming. Ok...I got it!

Iraq films barely a blip on Oscar radar Who didn't make it to the nominations list By TIMOTHY M. GRAY What do Bart Simpson, John Travolta and Iraq-themed movies have in common? All were no-shows in the Oscars noms. In a wide-open year, there were lots of possibilities and few certainties. Many names seemed likely contenders, in a variety of categories, but with Oscar, somebody's got to come in sixth. An entire subgenre was pretty much shut out: Aside from Tommy Lee Jones' surprise nom for "In the Valley of Elah" and Philip Seymour Hoffman for "Charlie Wilson's War," the slate of Mideast-topical movies were ignored by Academy voters. That list includes "Rendition," "Lions for Lambs," "A Mighty Heart," "The Kingdom" and "Redacted." That line should have read "the slate of blame-America-first movies were ignored not only by the Academy voters but also by movie goers who don't like to pay their ...

It seems that what was assumed would happen, WGA modeling their deal after the DGA deal, is happening; Writers Strike Could End in Two Weeks as Key Players Show Clout Monday, January 21st, 2008 The WGA wisely invited key Showrunners and hyphenates to be part of the process. Now they are pushing the DGA deal as a model to get the writers back to work By Alex Ben Block HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) – 1/21/2008 – The same group of top TV show runners and industry hyphenates who added credibility, muscle and enhanced unity during the Writers Guild strike are now also going to be a force pushing within the guild for a contract modeled after the DGA deal. That is one reason we believe the WGA strike will be over in two weeks, and the Academy Awards will proceed as usual. These Showrunners — the people who run day-to-day operations of a TV show, often with titles like executive producer, producer-writer or some combination of hyphenates — are under tremendous personal and professional press...

By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations' chief envoy in Iraq gave a mixed report on the situation on Monday, saying security had improved but an Iraqi political consensus was needed for lasting stability. "We cannot ignore the recent improvements both in the security and political situation in Iraq, " Staffan de Mistura, head of the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), said in a speech to the Security Council. Reasons for the reduced level of violence included the increased presence of U.S. and other troops, a ceasefire declared by Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia and increased cooperation with Iraq's neighbors, he said. Will wonders never cease! Powered by ScribeFire .

John Edwards Embraces Wicked Fox News - Media Blog - Jeff Bercovici - Mixed Media - Portfolio.com John Edwards wants you to ignore all that garbage coming out of Fox News -- except when it makes him look good. Edwards was the first major Democrat to vow to sit out a debate originally scheduled to air on Fox News last August. "Fox News has already proven they have no intention of providing 'fair and balanced' coverage of any Democrat in this election," declared his campaign website. "Now it's time for Democrats to stand together and send a clear message to Roger Ailes, Fox News and all the rest of them: bias isn't balance, but turning tables is fair." Other Democrats also succumbed to pressure from MoveOn.org and other left-wing groups, and Fox ended up cancelling the debate.

ACLU: Sex in restroom stalls is private Tue Jan 15, 11:15 PM ET ST. PAUL, Minn. - In an effort to help Sen. Larry Craig, the American Civil Liberties Union is arguing that people who have sex in public bathrooms have an expectation of privacy. Craig, of Idaho, is asking the Minnesota Court of Appeals to let him withdraw his guilty plea to disorderly conduct stemming from a bathroom sex sting at the Minneapolis airport. The ACLU filed a brief Tuesday supporting Craig. It cited a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling 38 years ago that found that people who have sex in closed stalls in public restrooms "have a reasonable expectation of privacy." That means the state cannot prove Craig was inviting an undercover officer to have sex in public, the ACLU wrote.

Today on Today; LAUER: No front-runner on the Republican side; no front-runner on the Democratic side. And yet when you listen to the press coverage of this, you hear them say "the up-for-grabs race on the Republican side signals a party in disarray. The up-for-grabs race on the Democratic side signals a party with an embarrassment of riches." Why is that? Is it the media? RUSSERT: We have to be careful. I remember in 1992 it was the Democrats who were the party in disarray [remember the "Seven Dwarfs"?] and Bill Clinton finally emerged and beat George Herbert Walker Bush. But what the Democrats point to, Matt, is money -- Democrats outraising them dramatically. Last night in Michigan, half the Republicans said they're angry or dissatisfied with the Bush administration. We found the same thing in Iowa, and the same thing in New Hampshire. And there are still five viable candidates on the Republican side; only two, two-and-a-half, three on the Democratic side. LA...

But this video makes her so much more likable...

There must be a better way than to further burden the American public with even higher gas prices... Transit Panel Urges Gas Tax Increase Jan 15 10:08 AM US/Eastern By HOPE YEN Associated Press Writer 56 Comments WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal gasoline taxes should be raised up to 40 cents per gallon over five years, a special commission urged Tuesday in calling for drastic changes to fix aging bridges and roads and reduce traffic deaths. The two-year study by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission is the first to recommend broad changes after the d...

GM's outspoken Vice Chairman Bob Lutz told reporters today at the Detroit Auto Show the U.S. government's 35 mpg CAFE standard will push car prices up by $4,000 to $10,000 per vehicle, or an average $6,000. Always looking out for the little guy! Don't worry, Barack wants to give everyone $250 rebates to boost the economy!

Boy, they should send Jeri Thompson out a lot more often, she is smart, well-spoken and easy on the eyes; Link: sevenload.com

The surge is working...the Dems still want to retreat because of no political progress. Well now ABC has noticed this agreement from last week. What will the Dems say now? Overseas next, a significant political breakthrough in Iraq. Security has been improved there, but critics have wondered when political progress would come. Well, now Iraqi lawmakers have put their differences aside and agreed to allow some members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to take government jobs. It's a key benchmark sought by the United States. ABC's Hillary Brown reports... Well of course they will take credit the way Hillary did on Meet The Press over the weekend;

The media will never be color-blind, today on "Morning Joe"; JOE SCARBOROUGH: What the hell happened in New Hampshire? MATTHEWS:“You remember the Lone Ranger and Tonto? I think paleface speak with forked tongue. You hear me? Forked tongue.... I thought this was over. I thought it ended with “macaca."... I thought white voters stopped being what they didn’t want to be. You know what it tells me? People aren’t proud of who they are. They aren't proud of who they are. If they want to vote for Hillary Clinton, fine. Why don’t they say so? SCARBOROUGH: I’m used to people saying that we in the South have problems. MATTHEWS: Tell me about it, SCARBOROUGH: But talk about New England. MATTHEWS: Boston? BOSTON? [with a tone of incredulity] MATTHEWS: There’s different kind of prejudice in the North than in the South. But it exists. It may not be “I think I’m better than you,” but it might be "I don’t want to live next door to you.” Hey Chris...maybe they just changed their...

She Made Hillary Cry - Then She Voted For Obama! Marianne Pernold tells 630 WMAL's Chris Core she truly believes that Senator Hillary Clinton's emotional response to her question at a meeting in New Hampshire was genuine. Pernold asked Clinton how she managed to keep going during the rough campaign, and Clinton's somewhat-teary response has been credited by some pundits for her victory in the Granite state Tuesday night. Pernold tells 630 WMAL she still voted for Barack Obama, because she had attended one of his rallies earlier in the week, and she claims Obama's stirring speech brought HER to tears!

ABC News Bill on Obama: Big Fairy Tale The former U.S. president rants on Barack Obama's free pass from the press. 01/08/2008 It's funny but suddenly the Clintons seem to not be the brightest people in the world...

DRUDGE REPORT 2008® EPIC TURNOUT FOR DEMS -- We Are Out of Ballots! Imagine if this were a presidential election and New Hampshire or any other state ran out of ballots. I can just hear the cries of voter suppression by the Democrats against the Republicans now...

Pajamas Media: Ron Paul Bigotry Revolution

Huckabee vows to defy birthright citizenship By Stephen Dinan January 8, 2008 Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee made a campaign stop yesterday at the Barley House in Concord, N.H. If he wins the presidency, he said, he intends to review the case against two Border Patrol agents who are serving lengthy prison sentences for shooting a fleeing suspect. (Associated Press) Mike Huckabee wants to amend the Constitution to prevent children born in the U.S. to illegal aliens from automatically becoming American citizens, according to his top immigration surrogate — a radical step no other major presidential candidate has embraced. Mr. Huckabee, who won last week's Republican Iowa caucuses, promised Minuteman Project founder James Gilchrist that he would force a test case to the Supreme Court to challenge birthright citizenship, and would push Congress to pass a 28th Amendment to the Constitution to remove any doubt. UPDATE: Apparently not, Huckabee just released this statement: I do not ...

Chevy Volt Hydrogen via Gizmodo Powered by ScribeFire .

College Drinking Games Lead to Higher Blood Alcohol Levels Women at themed events also drank more heavily than male peers, field study finds -- Madeline Vann SUNDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- The first on-the-scene study of college drinking behavior shows that parties with drinking games result in higher blood alcohol levels, while themed parties encourage college women to drink more heavily than men, new research suggests. Previous studies of college drinking have relied largely on individual behavior and self-reports of drinking habits. Researchers at San Diego State University and the University of Michigan have determined that environment and party activities also affect drinking behavior. "Most studies use survey methods that require people to recall their drinking behavior -- days, weeks or months prior -- and such recall is not always accurate," corresponding author J. D. Clapp, director of the Center for Alcohol and Drug Studies and Services at San Diego State Univer...

From ABC News; “My question is very personal, how do you do it?” asked Marianne Pernold Young, a freelance photographer from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. “How do you, how do you keep upbeat and so wonderful?” Clinton began responding, jokingly: “You know, I think, well luckily, on special days I do have help. If you see me every day and if you look on some of the websites and listen to some of the commentators they always find me on the day I didn’t have help. It’s not easy.” Then Clinton began getting emotional: “It’s not easy, and I couldn’t do it if I didn’t passionately believe it was the right thing to do. You know I have so many opportunities from this country just don’t want to see us fall backwards,” she said. Then, her voice breaking and tears in her eyes, she said, “You know, this is very personal for me. It’s not just political it’s not just public. I see what’s happening, and we have to reverse it.” Powered by ScribeFire .

TALK OF HILLARY EXIT ENGULFS CAMPAIGN Powered by ScribeFire .

Awfully curious that a "lifelong Republican" would donate to Democrats. Must be some clandestine plan to infiltrate the party...From Newsbusters : The quickest way to get the liberal media to pay attention to you is to claim to be a Republican who hates Republicans. It’s an almost infallible public relations strategy that of late has worked well for “Republican” Monica Green . It’s also done wonders for “lifelong Republican” Henry A. Lowenstein, who has managed to get 20 different letters published in the New York Times since 2003, a remarkable feat when you consider that the Times (by its own admission) receives around 1,000 letters a day and prints only 15 on its letters page. That means the odds of the average liberal person (the paper freely admits it favors left-wing letter writers) getting his or her letter printed are about 1.5 percent. It’s worse when you think of the numbers on a yearly scale. In the past five years, the Times has received approximatel...

On Intrade he is.... Huck is at 16% chance of being the Republican nominee...McCain is a 31% and Hillary is 51% for the Dem nomination.

From Stephen Green ; An Open Letter Posted by Stephen Green · 3 January 2008 Dear Iowa Republicans, I’ll put this in language even your tiny little Iowa brains can understand: What the f*** is wrong with you people? The news coming out of Des Moines (literally, French for “tell me about the rabbits, George”) tonight is distressing in the extreme. 32 years ago, your Democratic brethren took one look at Jimmy Carter -- the worst 20th Century President bar Nixon, and the worst ex-President ever -- and declared, “That’s our man!” Three decades later, and along comes Mike Huckabee. Same moral pretentiousness, same gullibility on foreign affairs, only-slightly-less toothy idiot’s grin. Then you so-called Republicans took a look at Carter’s clone and said, “That’s our man, too!” And by a pretty wide margin. I’ll give you some credit where it's due: you guys had sense enough to give Fred Thompson a breather, and Ron Paul a pretty solid kick in the (ahem) nuts. But Mike Huckabee? Really?...

From Instapundit ; BIG -- AND DEVASTATING -- NEWS ON THAT LANCET STUDY claiming massive civilian deaths in Iraq. A National Journal cover story by Neil Munro suggests the possibility of outright scientific fraud . Neil Munro notes serious problems with the study, and a failure on the part of The Lancet's staff to determine if the data on which it was based -- data which the authors will not share -- were even true. In addition, there are problems with conflicts of interest and political bias. This is a big deal story; it'll be interesting to see if it gets the attention it deserves.

Basically its case of garbage in garbage out... Data Bomb By Neil Munro and Carl M. Cannon, National Journal © National Journal Group Inc. Friday, Jan. 4, 2008 Three weeks before the 2006 midterm elections gave Democrats control of Congress, a shocking study reported on the number of Iraqis who had died in the ongoing war. It bolstered criticism of President Bush and heightened the waves of dread -- here and around the world -- about the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Published by The Lancet, a venerable British medical journal, the study [PDF] used previously accepted methods for calculating death rates to estimate the number of "excess" Iraqi deaths after the 2003 invasion at 426,369 to 793,663; the study said the most likely figure was near the middle of that range: 654,965. Almost 92 percent of the dead, the study asserted, were killed by bullets, bombs, or U.S. air strikes. This stunning toll was more than 10 times the number of deaths estimated by the Iraqi or U.S. governme...