The Media Spin: A Twisted Tale of "Blood Libel" and False Reporting

You all know the firestorm of criticism Sarah Palin received after her "blood libel" comments. Many pundits criticized her for her use of the term. Others defended her. All in all, it was what Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, who describes himself as a "liberal with sanity," said regarding the use of this term that has stuck with me the most. As a staunch liberal, Mayor Koch is doing something the left and many on the right refuse to do by coming to the defense of the former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate. In a recent Huffington Post op-ed ed, Koch wrote the following in regards to Palin's "blood libel" claims against the media:


While the charge of responsibility against Palin was dropped, the Scarborough crew continued to assail her for defending herself on her website where she stated that she had been the subject of a blood libel. Her critics were incensed that she should use the term "blood libel." That was the description given by Jews to the charge of Christian clergy who falsely accused Jews of killing Christian children in order to make matzos (unleavened bread) during the Passover holiday. That libelous accusation was intended by those using it to cause pogroms that killed and injured thousands of Jews. It started in the early centuries A.D. and continues to date, according to Wikipedia. That same charge -- blood libel -- is now repeated by the media in Arab countries to stir up the anger of the Arab street against the Jews in Israel. The libel continues to do damage.

Today the phrase "blood libel" can be used to describe any monstrous defamation against any person, Jew or non-Jew. It was used by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when he was falsely accused of permitting the Lebanese Christian militia to kill hundreds of defenseless and innocent Muslim men, women and children in Lebanese refugee camps. The killings were monstrous and indefensible revenge for earlier killings by Muslims of innocent Christian civilians.

Unlike the majority of lamstream media pundits, Koch gets it. To attack Palin for her use of this phrase, let alone the Tuscon tragedy, is hypocritical and that is putting it politely. It was outrageous enough for the media to accuse Palin for the tragedy that took place in Arizona, let alone attack her use of verbiage. You think they would have realized that the number-one rule of journalism is checking and re-checking your facts before reporting the news to millions and millions of people across the globe. It is bad enough that the media reported Congresswoman Giffords dead. The media need to definitely re-think how they go about conducting business on a day-to-day basis. The way in which they have conducted themselves throughout this entire Tucson tragedy has been both unprofessional and unfair to both the victims of this horrible event and the public at large. Koch is smart enough to realize this, and we are smart enough to know an act of extreme idiocy when we see it.

Will the media do things differently next time? After all, they unfairly targeted an innocent woman by accusing her of being responsible for this crazed killer's heinous actions. Furthermore, they falsely reported a woman dead, leaving her husband, who was on a plane, on his way to Arizona, to wonder, for over an hour, if his beloved wife was among those killed. I cannot begin to imagine the thoughts that must have been racing through Mark Kelly's mind. This is a man who loves his wife so deeply that it had to be the most unbearable news to hear. The media need to do better! It was not too long ago that the horrible shootings at Fort Hood took place. I still remember the media's reaction. We all know they repeatedly stated the need to wait for the evidence before placing blame on the radical Muslim who was responsible. Isn't it funny that this same media who pretty much protected Nidal Hasan had no problem placing blame on Sarah Palin for what happened in Tuscon? This just further illustrates the media's obsession with targeting all things conservative.

Unfortunately, this double standard is not about to end anytime soon. This is why it is imperative that we hold the media's feet to the fire, doing everything in our power to keep them honest. If you are a blogger, blog. If you are on Twitter, tweet. If you work for the media, stay objective. It is clear that the media are losing this battle. More and more people are opting out of the mainstream media's attempt to sway public opinion, turning to online resources, talk radio and objective cable news for their information. Mark my words, it will be these forms of media that will drown out the media spin and the media's attempts to play liberal messenger.

(Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)

February Marks Reagan/Palin Appreciation Month

Two amazing political figures were born during the month of February: Ronald Reagan and Sarah Palin. In honor of both of these individuals, Conservative Girl with a Voice has joined a variety of other blogs in honoring these two fascinating people. In honor of Ronald and Sarah, the following announcement has been made:

February is the month five of our presidents were born (4 past and 1 future). It also marks the 100th anniversary of President Reagan’s birth. We would celebrate Governor Palin’s and President Reagan’s birthdays anyway, but since the liberal media has called for a Palin moratorium, the authors at the Sarah Palin Information Blog have decided to spearhead a Reagan/Palin Appreciation Month. We want to honor Reagan for his outstanding service to our country, and we want to honor Governor Palin for her accomplishments and for all she continues to do for our country.

President Reagan fought Communism from the time he worked in Hollywood through his years in office and won the Cold War without firing a shot. His famous line, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” will ring through history. America prospered during his Presidency as Reaganomics stimulated the economy, increased employment, and cut taxes and government expenditure. Ronald Reagan’s policies also increased the strength of our military.

Governor Sarah Palin has stood up and spoken out fearlessly in defense of conservative principles and national security when others remained silent,and she has taken the darts and arrows for doing so. And we have seen over an over that she was right. Her tireless efforts during the mid-term elections also helped elect men and women who will represent the American people instead of the establishment. All of her supporters are waiting anxiously in the hope that she will run for President and help lead our country out of the mess the current administration has gotten us into.

During February, as we celebrate President Reagan’s legacy and Governor Palin’s accomplishments, the Palin-friendly blogs that participate in Reagan/Palin Appreciation Month will be ramping up their coverage of all things Sarah Palin in a show of support for Governor Palin. We are asking all Sarah Palin supporters to sign the Reagan/Palin Appreciation Month Proclamation. Palin-friendly blogs that want to participate in this celebration can request to be added as sponsors of the Proclamation by using the Contact Petition Sponsor button on the petition website after signing the Proclamation.

February is barely a week away now, so let’s get organized to have a great month of celebration for two great Presidents – one who has finished his course and one who is waiting in the wings to bear his torch.

(Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)

GOProud at CPAC: Much Ado About Nothing

This year's CPAC Conference has already drummed up a bit of controversy with less than a month to go before conservatives from across the country gather to meet and hear from a variety of conservative leaders. Big-name speakers like Michele Bachman, Andrew Breitbart, Marco Rubio, Ann Coulter and other conservative greats are scheduled to address convention goers, but one conservative leader will be absent from the scheduled list of speakers. Senator Jim DeMint, a well-known conservative Republican and leader, has decided to for-go the this year's conference. His spokesperson did not give a specific reason, but instead left more to the debate of whether his reason for not attending has something to do with the fact that CPAC decided to invite GOProud, a gay Republican organization, to be among the list of this year's participating organizations. If this is DeMint's motive for deciding not to attend this year's conference, he is not alone. Popular conservative groups like The Family Research Council, Heritage Foundation and Media Research Center have pulled out their scheduled appearances.

If the GOProud's participation in this year's conference is the reason for his decision not to attend, what does this mean for conservatives? Furthermore, what does this mean for the Republican Party? While CPAC is not affiliated with the Republican Party, it is no secret that the vast majority of those who attend are Republicans. I, for one, do not see what all the hoopla is about. I mean, come on, if a gay conservative group wants to participate in CPAC, why not let them participate? This is America after all. You may be surprised by my reaction; after all, I am a strong believer in social conservative values and principles. I am also a big believer in traditional marriage, believing marriage should only be defined as between one man and one woman. But with this aside, I do not believe boycotting this year's CPAC is doing anyone any good. With this boycott comes unneeded controversy. Whether you like it or not, gays are apart of the conservative movement too. They go to work each day and pay their taxes just like you and I. They are active in their communities, and many believe in common-sense conservative values and the constitution. Now, I must make a very important point that I highly respect Senator DeMint and look up to him as a great leader in the Conservative Republican movement. With this said, I do not feel it does any good for groups to make a big hissy fit because a certain group has been invited to participate. CPAC is an event in which people come together for the purpose of sharing their conservative interests and brainstorming for ways in which to spread their message. CPAC is an event in which like-minded people gather to hear ways to make conservatism a more powerful force. People who identify themselves as conservatives need to look for common goals and the common ground to which they stand. By turning on one another, this does nothing, but hurt those who identify themselves as conservatives and everything to help the attempts by those like President Obama and the liberal left in their attempts to tear our side apart seam by seam, piece by piece. There is no doubt that many reading this will disagree with this argument, and that is your right. I am just stating observations and an opinion, but I know there are many individuals out there who will agree with my assessment.

Unfortunately, there is no black-and-white definition of "conservatism." It is not that simple, for we are not robotic beings. Even those who agree with each other 99 percent of the time will find that one percent of time when they are in disagreement. This is what makes America, America. Our country is based upon beliefs and ideas- it is these very beliefs that make our country the wonderful, authentic country that it is. When I attend various political events in which my fellow conservatives attend, I meet and speak with a variety of amazing people who identify themselves as conservative. I speak with men, women, blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asians, straights and gays. Just as the color of one's skin color does not bother me or make me think differently or like them any less, the same can be said about sexual orientation. In the end, it all comes down to one central point. When conservatives turn on one another, the left jumps up and down, doing back flips in between. Those on the left are foaming at the mouth right now because they are witnessing the friction that is occurring. Do we really want the left to win? Do we really want to hand them this victory? As a Christian conservative, God has called me love my neighbor. This does not mean I have to believe in gay marriage or support the gay lifestyle, but it does mean that I have no place to judge. I have gay friends, many of whom are the kindest, most trusting individuals, and yes, many of whom identify themselves as conservatives. Instead of bickering back and forth, begin a dialog. After all, those who bicker and argue back and forth usually do little, if anything, to strengthen the conservative voice and spread the conservative message.

Just a little food for thought....

(Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)

If Sarah Palin is Snooki, Does this Make President Obama the Situation?

As I was getting ready for work this morning, I happened to flip the channel to one of the most fair and balanced news networks in all of television news, good ol' MSNBC (wink, wink). I had not been listening for a total of two minutes before Sarah Palin's name came up. Liberal think-tank Donny Deutsch appeared on the Morning Joe panel and had this to say:

Why the fascination (with Sarah Palin)? It’s very simple, and I’m not going to be glib here. She is Snooki. It’s the same math. A younger generation-- they want to watch this character with big character, with big hair who’s funny; you don’t know she’s going to say. It’s no different, but for a higher demographic! We watch her, she’s interesting looking... what's she going to say? She’s campy, she’s kitschy, it’s telegenic, its television, its entertaining that’s the fascination. Beginning, middle and end of story, she’s Snooki.

Really, Donny, Snooki??? When you did not think the liberal left's fascination could not get anymore creepy or delusional, it does. This clearly is because Sarah Palin is a political rock star whom the liberal left cannot help, but talk about constantly throughout each news cycle While objectively reporting the facts is one thing, making asinine comments is another. After Deutsch's comments, Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski seemed to cowardly distance themselves by quickly moving on to their next topic, sweeping his comments under the rug, which caused me to believe even they believed his comments were both tacky and way off base.

What Deutsch does not seem to understand is that when he compares a woman like Sarah to a star of childish reality show, he is doing a huge disservice to both politics and women. By comparing Sarah to this reality starlet, Mr. Deutsch is basically saying Sarah Palin is only talked about for sheer entertainment value, not the intellectual. Would he compare President Obama to Snooki's co-star, the Situation? I know this is a very extreme comparison, but it is no different than the comparison Deutsch made this morning. After all, then-candidate Obama based his whole presidential campaign around his charisma and picture-perfect family instead of his voting record and time as a member of the Senate. During the 2008 campaign, people were hanging on then-candidate Obama's every word, fainting along the campaign trail at the mere sight of him. I wonder if Mr. Deutsch remembers this. Perhaps Mr. Deutsch should stay off the reality trip and stick to reporting on business issues, unless, of course, he is looking to be hired by an entertainment news agency. But then again, I do not think he would last a day with his ridiculous comparisons and utter disregard for reporting the facts and the truth.

(Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)

I've Been Nominated for a Shorty Award, and I NEED YOUR HELP!!!

Today, I had the honor of being nominated for a Shorty Award in the category of Innovation by my friend, Lisa Graas. For those of you who do not know what a Shorty is, it is a social media award that awards people who use social media to get their message out there. If you have a Twitter account, I would be so excited and honored if you could click here and visit shortyawards.com/RachelleFriberg to vote for me in this category. It is really simple to vote. All you have to do is type in a short reason for why you are voting for me. Thanks again to Lisa, and thanks to those of you who are nice enough to take a short minute to vote to send me to New York City for the big award's night!!!

PLEASE VOTE AND SPREAD THE WORD!!! THANKS!!!

(Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)

Sarah Palin: America's Enduring Strength

A few hours ago, Sarah Palin posted a Facebook Note and video in regards to the recent shootings that happened over the weekend in Tucson, Arizona. The sentiments expressed by Sarah are echoed by millions throughout our great, resilient country. Although the scars will remain, America WILL recover and come out of this horrific event stronger and even more committed to making our country the greatest it can be!

Please click here to view the video of this statement.

Like millions of Americans I learned of the tragic events in Arizona on Saturday, and my heart broke for the innocent victims. No words can fill the hole left by the death of an innocent, but we do mourn for the victims’ families as we express our sympathy.

I agree with the sentiments shared yesterday at the beautiful Catholic mass held in honor of the victims. The mass will hopefully help begin a healing process for the families touched by this tragedy and for our country.

Our exceptional nation, so vibrant with ideas and the passionate exchange and debate of ideas, is a light to the rest of the world. Congresswoman Giffords and her constituents were exercising their right to exchange ideas that day, to celebrate our Republic’s core values and peacefully assemble to petition our government. It’s inexcusable and incomprehensible why a single evil man took the lives of peaceful citizens that day.

There is a bittersweet irony that the strength of the American spirit shines brightest in times of tragedy. We saw that in Arizona. We saw the tenacity of those clinging to life, the compassion of those who kept the victims alive, and the heroism of those who overpowered a deranged gunman.

Like many, I’ve spent the past few days reflecting on what happened and praying for guidance. After this shocking tragedy, I listened at first puzzled, then with concern, and now with sadness, to the irresponsible statements from people attempting to apportion blame for this terrible event.

President Reagan said, “We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own. They begin and end with the criminals who commit them, not collectively with all the citizens of a state, not with those who listen to talk radio, not with maps of swing districts used by both sides of the aisle, not with law-abiding citizens who respectfully exercise their First Amendment rights at campaign rallies, not with those who proudly voted in the last election.

The last election was all about taking responsibility for our country’s future. President Obama and I may not agree on everything, but I know he would join me in affirming the health of our democratic process. Two years ago his party was victorious. Last November, the other party won. In both elections the will of the American people was heard, and the peaceful transition of power proved yet again the enduring strength of our Republic.

Vigorous and spirited public debates during elections are among our most cherished traditions. And after the election, we shake hands and get back to work, and often both sides find common ground back in D.C. and elsewhere. If you don’t like a person’s vision for the country, you’re free to debate that vision. If you don’t like their ideas, you’re free to propose better ideas. But, especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible.

There are those who claim political rhetoric is to blame for the despicable act of this deranged, apparently apolitical criminal. And they claim political debate has somehow gotten more heated just recently. But when was it less heated? Back in those “calm days” when political figures literally settled their differences with dueling pistols? In an ideal world all discourse would be civil and all disagreements cordial. But our Founding Fathers knew they weren’t designing a system for perfect men and women. If men and women were angels, there would be no need for government. Our Founders’ genius was to design a system that helped settle the inevitable conflicts caused by our imperfect passions in civil ways. So, we must condemn violence if our Republic is to endure.

As I said while campaigning for others last March in Arizona during a very heated primary race, “We know violence isn’t the answer. When we ‘take up our arms’, we’re talking about our vote.” Yes, our debates are full of passion, but we settle our political differences respectfully at the ballot box – as we did just two months ago, and as our Republic enables us to do again in the next election, and the next. That’s who we are as Americans and how we were meant to be. Public discourse and debate isn’t a sign of crisis, but of our enduring strength. It is part of why America is exceptional.

No one should be deterred from speaking up and speaking out in peaceful dissent, and we certainly must not be deterred by those who embrace evil and call it good. And we will not be stopped from celebrating the greatness of our country and our foundational freedoms by those who mock its greatness by being intolerant of differing opinion and seeking to muzzle dissent with shrill cries of imagined insults.

Just days before she was shot, Congresswoman Giffords read the First Amendment on the floor of the House. It was a beautiful moment and more than simply “symbolic,” as some claim, to have the Constitution read by our Congress. I am confident she knew that reading our sacred charter of liberty was more than just “symbolic.” But less than a week after Congresswoman Giffords reaffirmed our protected freedoms, another member of Congress announced that he would propose a law that would criminalize speech he found offensive.

It is in the hour when our values are challenged that we must remain resolved to protect those values. Recall how the events of 9-11 challenged our values and we had to fight the tendency to trade our freedoms for perceived security. And so it is today.

Let us honor those precious lives cut short in Tucson by praying for them and their families and by cherishing their memories. Let us pray for the full recovery of the wounded. And let us pray for our country. In times like this we need God’s guidance and the peace He provides. We need strength to not let the random acts of a criminal turn us against ourselves, or weaken our solid foundation, or provide a pretext to stifle debate.

America must be stronger than the evil we saw displayed last week. We are better than the mindless finger-pointing we endured in the wake of the tragedy. We will come out of this stronger and more united in our desire to peacefully engage in the great debates of our time, to respectfully embrace our differences in a positive manner, and to unite in the knowledge that, though our ideas may be different, we must all strive for a better future for our country. May God bless America.

- Sarah Palin

(Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)

Sarah Palin: On the Tragedy in Arizona

Today marks a tragic day in America. My thoughts and prayers are with Representative Giffords, her family and all those effected by this horrible act of senseless violence.

Sarah Palin just post the following note on Facebook in regards to the tragic shooting that took place this morning in Tucson, Arizona:

My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today's tragic shooting in Arizona.

On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the victims and their families, and for peace and justice.

- Sarah Palin


(Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)