Say what you will about the morals of the tabloid media in countries like the United Kingdom but at least these newspapers consider it in their interests to expose hypocrisy and shortcomings across the political spectrum.  American tabloids generally focus on celebrities and steer clear of political discourse, leaving public morality issues to a manifestly partisan press whose editors find no value in highlighting the gaffes or limitations of Democrat politicians, while making it a sacred duty to magnify those of Republicans. 

Hope or Lies?

President Obama’s aspirations for a socialist America are there for all to see.  He wants a “fair” society by which he means a redistribution of wealth.  Equally clear are the aspersions he throws around to make his case.  Americans are still trying to come to terms with the president’s “in your face” style and the claims he conjures up to make his case.  If the mainstream media weren’t so fawning, complicit and ideologically supportive of his political goals, these aspersions might be more widely regarded as repugnant. 

For example, the numbers of uninsured Americans during the year-long public health care debate should have come under a much more critical spotlight.  Figures of 45 million and, later, 30 million were banded about to justify a government takeover of health care, but had little basis in fact.  At the same time, the President has repeatedly demonized the profits of health insurance companies, even though many are non-profit organizations. 

Now one of those companies, Wellpoint, is calling out the President on his most recent attack, a radio address in which he said: “…when we found out that an insurance company was systematically dropping the coverage of women diagnosed with breast cancer, my administration called on them to put an end to this practice immediately.”  What could better encapsulate the evils of insurance companies, and indict the system of health care he was replacing, than one failing to honor commitments to treat women with potentially fatal illnesses?  Except that it wasn’t true. 

Wellpoint CEO Angela Braly  – who as a woman doesn’t fit Obama’s characterization of the evil anti-woman insurer – wrote a letter to the president saying he was grossly misrepresenting the facts.  This, presumably, is a polite way of saying, “Liar!”  She wrote: “To be absolutely clear: Despite your claims, Wellpoint does not single out women with breast cancer for rescission.  Period.” 

Ms. Braly told the president that these attacks “must end”.  This, of course, is not going to happen since they serve the president’s purposes and there is no risk of them being exposed by the mainstream media.  The Washington Post and New York Times failed to report the matter at all.  In January, President Obama chastised Supreme Court Justices but got his facts wrong.  Again, the media was complicit through its forgiveness. 

Martin Luther King said that people should be judged according to their character.  In the president’s case, even without exposure from the press, the judgment is becoming increasingly clear as his approval ratings continue to slide, now standing at between 47 and 50 per cent.  The American voter has behaved like the good hearted woman in Waylon Jenning’s famous song, giving the president a certain amount of leeway.  But, with the mid-term elections coming in November, time may be catching up with the good timing man.

• Obama’s Brilliant Re-election Ploy
• Grand Theft
• Free Passes and the Presidency
• Descent and Dissent
• Waves of Urgency