There are some headlines which just cause you to wonder at the bias of the “reporter” covering that news item or the editor who wrote that title.  Today, the opening of a supposed “news’ article on the legislative process to overhaul our nation’s health care system reveals (yet again) the AP’s political inclinations:

Democrats are troubled by the inconsistency of Republican lawmakers who approved a major Medicare expansion six years ago that has added tens of billions of dollars to federal deficits, but oppose current health overhaul plans.

Oh, poor Democrats, they’re troubled by supposed Republican inconsistency.  I mean, what does this mean?  Why is this news?  We all know political parties disagree.  And accuse their rivals of inconsistency.  Looks more like the AP reporting Democratic talking points as news.

First, do they even realize there’s a limit to growing the federal government?  To some Republicans (and I’m not one of them) who supported the Medicare Part D (prescription drug benefit), maybe this was as far as (they believed) government should grow.  And they didn’t want to further expand it. What’s the inconsistency there?  

Couldn’t a family say go into debt to finance a house, but refuse to go into further debt to buy a mansion as well?

The opening of this article shows (once again) what we already know:  the AP attempting to carry water for the Democratic Party.  And despite their slanted coverage of the health care debate, Americans increasingly oppose the various plans the AP shills promoted for their guys on Capitol Hill.

Guess they just told hold the same sway over public opinion they once did–and would still like to have.

Despite the Obama Administration’s efforts to cover up the ongoing war against America by Islamists, the Muslim terrorists are obviously undeterred in their plans to carry out war against our homeland.

Airliner attack fails over Detroit; Northwest Ohioans on board witness incident - T0ledo Blade (h/t – Amanda Carpenter)

A Northwest Airlines passenger from Nigeria who said he was acting on al-Qaeda’s instructions set off an explosive device Friday in a failed terrorist attack on the plane as it was preparing to land in Detroit, federal officials said.

 Flight 253 had 278 passengers aboard, including northwest Ohio residents who saw the incident.

The flight was 20 minutes from the airport when what sounded like a firecracker exploded, witnesses said.  One passenger jumped over others and tried to subdue the man. Shortly afterward, the suspect was taken to a front-row seat with leg burns.  One U.S. intelligence official said the explosive device was a mix of powder and liquid that failed to fully detonate.

The White House said it believed it was an attempted act of terrorism, and stricter security measures were imposed on airline travel. Those measures were not specified.  A Northwest Airlines passenger from Nigeria who said he was acting on al-Qaeda’s instructions set off an explosive device Friday in a failed terrorist attack on the plane as it was preparing to land in Detroit, federal officials said.

 Flight 253 had 278 passengers aboard, including northwest Ohio residents who saw the incident.

 The flight was 20 minutes from the airport when what sounded like a firecracker exploded, witnesses said.

One passenger jumped over others and tried to subdue the man. Shortly afterward, the suspect was taken to a front-row seat with leg burns.

One U.S. intelligence official said the explosive device was a mix of powder and liquid that failed to fully detonate.

The White House said it believed it was an attempted act of terrorism, and stricter security measures were imposed on airline travel. Those measures were not specified.

First let me point out one simple fact:  While nearly all levels of the US government seem paralyzed to do anything lately, we have more evidence of the American public — specifically this one passenger — who will do what it takes to protect his nation. 

Moving forward I believe Congress should look into our Homeland Security practices immediately.  There are many questions that Gestapo Janet has to answer for.  Is she too consumed on cracking down on “right-wing extremists” that she dropped the ball on a worldwide war declared on this nation?  Did the Obama Adminstration take its eye off the ball in 2009 while trying to ram healthcare reform down our throats?  Has Obama spent too much time focusing on Afghanistan, and not enough time on Yemen — where there increasing reports of Iran-sponsored al-Qaeda groups gaining strength?

We all know that Senator Obama would have asked Congress to investigate the Bush Administration under reverse circumstances had this airline attack happened two years ago.  So I hope Barry’s 2008 so-far empty pledge of transparency will at least be honored when it comes to protecting American citizens.

We stayed safe on our homeland for seven years after the 9/11 attacks.  The American public demands to know why there has been one successful terror attack (Ft. Hood), and one that nearly happened yesterday under the watch of our new President.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

Back when I used to read the news magazines more regularly, I would devour their end-of-the-year issues to read about the issues which and individuals who had shaped the past twelve months.  I would both read to test my own attentiveness to the year’s trends and stories–to see how many were familiar to me–and to review the year about to conclude.

I’ve neglected those retrospectives this years (as I have for some time), but suspect that many will refer only to one of the (if not the) most important political phenomenon of 2009, the rebirth of American conservatism, in passing.

And the movement cam back alive despite pundits proclaiming its death and despite uneven the performance of the GOP leadership in our nation’s capital.  Michael Steele impressed us more before he took the helm of the RNC.  John Boehner and Mitch McConnell have proven able managers of our party’s greatly reduced cauci in their respective houses of Congress, but both suffer from an absence of what President George H.W. Bush dismissed as the “vision thing.”

Leaders of a revolution, they ain’t.

What our leaders may like in vision, however, our grassroots has shown in energy.  At the outset of the year following the election of a charismatic, community organizer to the White House, a man who motivated millins, who’d have thunk that rallies for smaller government and more freedom would have drawn larger crowds than rallies for the causes which motivate a base with a penchant for protest?

How quickly things change.  While the power in Washington may be on the left, the energy at the grassroots in on the right.  Obama’s Democrats may be trying to undermine the accomplishments of Ronald Reagan, but Republicans and independents are turning to his ideas and example for inspiration.

So, I’m wondering, given that the Tea Parties were one of the big stories of 2009, perhaps the biggest political story outside our nation’s capital, did any mainstream news outlet list this as one of the singular phenomena of the year?  And, if they did, did they accord this movement the respect it was due, not dismissing it with sexual innuendo or condescension?  

The 2010 elections will show whether this movement has the potential to transform the political landscape in the United States.  If it does, will the mainstream media again be caught off guard (as some outlets were in 1994) by a grassroots phenomenon on the right?