NEWS AND OPINION:
JON VOIGHT SPEAKS
“Beware, America, of President Obama’s dangerous START treaty,” warns Academy Award-winning conservative actor Jon Voight in a telephone conversation with The Washington Times.
“In my lifetime, I have seen America go through five wars. if America wasn’t the strongest nation in the world, we could have been taken over many times by evil regimes. President Obama is trying to convince the American people that if we give up our nuclear weapons, we would set an example, and all other countries would follow suit. What a naive and dangerous notion.
“If President Reagan wasn’t such a powerful force of strength during his presidency, we would never have seen Premier Gorbachev take down the Berlin Wall. Are we all foolish enough to think President Ahmadinejad of Iran will stop building a nuclear bomb as he kills his own people just for wanting freedom?
“Every American citizen should be up at arms, calling their senators to reject this dangerous START treaty. Without our nuclear might, we are subject to becoming a very weak nation, and what will follow is something more severe than what our nation is experiencing now with unemployment at 9.6 percent.
“In addition, our allies are very concerned for their safety, and they have warned America not to reduce its nuclear power because we serve as their protectors.
“President Kennedy in September 1961 - who himself had served during World War II, nearly losing his life - said America’s military might is the only way to keep our freedom. President Reagan also was of the same thought, and he had the foresight not to sign away our national missile defense in a world full of present and future threats from multiple nuclear powers.
“How many more wrong Obama policies will it take to wake us up to the possibility that Obama is capable of destroying our country? His distorted ambition to make a world peace without America’s nuclear might is a dangerous, dangerous proposition for America. We have seen in the last two years that Obama is not qualified to keep our country safe and strong,” Mr. Voight concludes.
TINGLE BELLS
Yes, of course we recall MSNBC’s Chris Matthews’ description of the effect President Obama’s oratory had on him, telling his “Hardball” audience on Sept. 7: “I get the same thrill up my leg, all over me, every time I hear those words. I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, that’s me. He’s talking about my country, and nobody does it better.”
Well, congratulations, Mr. Matthews, that’s been named the Quote of the Year in the 23rd annual awards for the Year’s Worst Reporting from the Media Research Center (MRC), determined by 46 judges, including talk-radio host Neal Boortz, syndicated columnist Cal Thomas, Human Events Editor-in-Chief Thomas S. Winter and American Spectator Editor-in-Chief R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr.
PBS host Tavis Smiley is runner-up for likening Christians and later the “tea party” to terrorists during a May 25 conversation with author Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who remarked that radical Muslims are motivated by the thought that “to kill other people is a great thing to do.” The comment prompted Mr. Smiley to respond, “But Christians do that every single day in this country. Every day, people walk into post offices, they walk into schools, that’s what Columbine is - I could do this all day long.”
Observes MRC founder Brent Bozell, “Congratulations, liberal media. The blustering failures of President Obama have sent our country into an economic nose dive, while destroying his party politically, and still you love him and his radical policies. In equal measure you despise the conservative ’sleeping giant’ and its ’tea party’ and will say anything, even lie through your teeth, to discredit them.”
The judges doled out plenty to winners ranging from ABC’s Joy Behar to Time magazine’s Joe Klein. See video clips, quotes and winners here: www.mrc.org.
TREND BENDERS
Out: “Yes we can.” Rallying cry from the 2008 Obama campaign.
In: “Hell no, you can’t.” Incoming House Speaker John A. Boehner’s viral denunciation of the health care bill.
Out: “Grab a mop.” President Obama’s advice to Republicans, then in the minority, urging them to help clean up the country’s economic mess.
In: “Shellacking.” Mr. Obama’s description of what Republicans pulled off in midterm elections.
Out: Stimulus. Critics question impact of Obama’s $800 billion economic package.
In: Subpoenas. The GOP is itching to investigate Obama administration programs.
Out: “I can see Russia from my house.” Tina Fey’s oft-repeated mock of Sarah Palin, who used Alaska’s proximity to Russia as foreign-policy cred during 2008 campaign.
In: “I can see November from my house.” Mrs. Palin’s midterm rallying cry as she helped Republicans win races from New Hampshire to California.
(From the Associated Press 50-item year-end review of “fickle” political trends.)
POLL DU JOUR
- 36 percent of Americans give President Obama a positive rating for “overall job” performance.
- 8 percent of Republicans and 68 percent of Democrats give the president a positive review.
- 11 percent of conservatives and 64 percent of liberals agree.
- 43 college graduates and 40 percent of East Coast residents give Mr. Obama a positive review.
- 11 percent of Americans overall give Congress a positive job review.
- 5 percent of Republicans and 22 percent of Democrats agree.
Source: A Harris Poll of 2,331 adults conducted Dec. 6-13.
Grumbles, mumbles, hue and cry to jharper@washingtontimes.com
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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