Americans To The Mainstream Media: "We Hate You! We REALLY Hate You!"

To the partisan dopes at the Boston Globe-Democrat: Read it and weep.

Gee, you think it might have something to do with the fact that this story isn't anywhere in today's Globe-Democrat?

Or this story?

Hey--a growing economy, American military success in Iraq. Who cares about that crap, right?

"The Black KKK"

Sportswriter Jason Whitlock uses the death of the NFL's Sean Taylor to write about something he calls "the Black KKK."

If you are concerned about crime in the black community and, unlike Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, want to actually DO something about it, Whitlock's column is today's must-read.

UPDATE: Boston's self-declared black leaders can't do anything about the outrageous level of black-on-black violent crime in our city. They're too busy today with more important matters.

Now We Know Why Mr. French Hates Santa Claus

Santa's too fat!

Suddenly McCall Middle School's declaration that Miracle on 34th Street is "too objectionable" for 7th graders makes sense: It's part of the struggle against childhood obesity!

Well, it makes sense for Massachusetts, anyway...

"None Of Your Damn Business"

After days of refusing to appear on my radio show, MA state rep. Jay Kaufman (who calls himself an "outspoken leader" on his website) finally appeared on air this morning to answer a few basic questions about his legislation to ban corporal punishment.

You can listen to the entire interview for yourself here, but what I found most telling was his reaction when I asked this man, who wants the legislature to govern how we raise our children, whether or not he spanked his own kids.

His answer: "None of your damn business."

And there, in five words, is the official motto of the ruling elites of Massachusetts. When we question their decisions, their competency, their motives, the answer is "None of your damn business."

As a judge why she released a violent, dangerous murderer on his own recognizance: "None of your damn business."

Why is the income tax still illegally high, even after a direct vote of the people to lower it? "None of your damn business."

Why did Deval Patrick hire a notorious incompetent who was chased out of Washington State to be our new corrections chief? "None of your damn business."

Why is it OK for legislators to pass laws telling us how to raise our children, but then turn around and tell us it's none of our damn business how they raise their own? "None of your damn business."

But there is one question the media elites and political hacks cannot stop us for asking or answering: Why do the citizens of Massachusetts put up with this?

When we can answer that question, we'll be getting somewhere.

UPDATE: My Boston Herald column on Rep. Kaufman and spanking the Establishment Elites is here.

MA Legislators Need A Good Spanking

That's the consensus from my listeners as Beacon Hill prepares to debate a bill to outlaw corporal punishment in Massachusetts.

As the Boston Herald reports, "if signed into law, parents would be prohibited from forcefully laying a hand on any child under age 18 unless it was to wrest them from danger, lest they be charged with abuse or neglect."

The bill was filed at the request of a local nurse, Kathleen Wolf, who claims she was traumatized as a young child when her siblings were spanked. You can hear my exclusive "first-in-Boston" interview with Ms. Wolf on the podcast page of www.969wtkk.com.

Meanwhile, listeners are speaking out:

DEJUAN: They (the government officials) have officially gone too far. The government should stay the hell out of my household. This is the reason children die on Roxbury streets. As a child if I were to disrespect anyone my mother would spank me and then my father would spank me for upsetting my mother. This is getting out of hand and if the sane people don't take a stand we are destined to be held captive by KIDS....

KATHY: Michael, I don’t agree with you about spanking. You can’t say that kids are better behaved because they’re spanked. I decided never to hit my child and he is much better behaved then his cousins who are spanked. The reason I decided not to spank was because I believe spanking is a cop-out. It’s used when parents don’t know how to handle the situation with their children. There are other ways to discipline that is proven more successful. However, I don’t believe that there should be a law about spanking.

STEPHANIE: I am not for abortion but borrowing fromt Bill Clinton- spanking should be "save, legal and rare."

ANDREW: You know, Michael, where this is heading . . . as soon as spanking is outlawed between parents and children, the next thing they'll outlaw is spanking between consenting adults!!! We must draw the line here!

UPDATE: Good news! It looks like this idiotic bill is DOA, according to the latest media reports.

The "Natural Truth" About The Annapolis Peace er... Thingy.

For their parts, Arab leaders and their representatives assume we're sufficiently honored if they just show up. We hear no end of nonsense about the great political risks they're taking, etc. We're suckers for any fat guy in a white robe with an oil can.

That's Ralph Peters' brilliant observation in the NY Post today.

Huh?

Does this make sense to anyone who DOESN'T work for Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick?

"A person who happens to be here illegally who is a law-abiding person should not have to worry that the State Police are going to be trying to figure out their status and turning them over to immigration," said Kurt Schwartz, [Gov. Patrick's] state undersecretary of law enforcement and fire services. "But a person who is here illegally who is not law-abiding may well find themselves being investigated for violations of
state law."

A brief pause so your head can stop spinning, too.

That quote is from a news story about Gov. Patrick's written police for the State Police ordering them to ignore the immigration status of criminals they encounter while doing their day-to-day work.

OK, what is a person who "happens to be here illegally?" What does that even mean? Are these people saying "Ooops, I'm so sorry. Am I not supposed to be here? You mean people AREN'T allowed to sneak into the US strapped to the bottom of a tractor trailer? Gee, I didn't know..."

And how can you be "a law-abiding person" while simultaneously committing tax fraud and identity fraud (which every illegal immigrant is doing right now)? Despite what this nitwit Kurt Schwartz says, it is currently a violation of Massachusetts state law for an illegal immigrant to work in this state. Not to mention the fact that remaining in the US illegally is a FELONY.

Meanwhile, the Patrick administration is simply lying when they talk about State Police "trying to figure out" the immigration status of people they encounter. That's a separate issue from the fact that State Police officers are in some cases confronted with the fact that the person they're dealing with is illegal, and Gov. Patrick is telling them to ignore it.

A law enforcement officer has a federal law breaker in custody, and the Governor of Massachusetts is ordering that officer to let the criminal go free.

Like another criminal released by a Massachusetts Democrat said recently, "Only in Massachusetts."

The Reviews Are In!

My lovely bride, The Warden, declared our Thanksgiving turkey "the best ever!" High praise, indeed, from a confirmed turkey addict. Her cornbread dressing was magnificent as always, and I'm delighted to report the Sweet Potato Praline Casserole was a hit, too.

And as a foodie, I was particularly pleased to wake up and find emails from listeners who tried the recipes I shared this holiday. Here is a sample of the feedback:

"I used your tip about soaking cheesecloth in butter for basting but I modified it a bit. The night before I took a half a pound of butter and about a cup of olive oil and boiled it with fresh herbs--rosemary thyme and sage--and used that to baste the turkey it was great. Probably the best turkey we ever had. Also stuffed it with roast veggies and pears (that we didn't eat just for the bird) and slow roasted it for almost 5 hours. I let it rest for 45 minutes after ....was the juiciest turkey ever!" -- Dennis.

AND

"Michael, I've been cooking for years and have seen tons of recipes. However yours for the sweet potato casserole is simple and absolutely wonderful! Thank You! As always, the show is great, congrats on the old time slot. Happy Thanksgiving!" -- Bob

Have A Miserable Thanksgiving! Really!

That's my Thanksgiving Day message in today's Boston Herald. Read and (almost) enjoy!

And if you want to know how to do Thanksgiving right, read this excellent piece by essayist Joseph Epstein from the Wall Street Journal.

The Michael Graham Guaranteed Sure-Fire Can't-Miss Perfect Turkey Every Time!

If you’re looking for the recipe for the best turkey you’re ever going to eat—this isn’t it.

That’s Deep Fried Turkey, and it takes special equipment, lots of practice and plenty of fire-retardant clothing. It’s absolutely delicious, however, and if you’re a foodie like me, it’s worth doing.

However, most people will never fry a turkey. Instead, they will find themselves in that uncomfortable position of roasting a turkey for a family member (or worse, in-laws) for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Maybe you’ve never roasted a turkey, or maybe you’ve done it a few times with mixed results. And now, here you are. The pressure’s on. The Mother-In-Law is watching.

It’s showtime.

Here are the three things that will guarantee you don’t spend Thanksgiving in the bedroom crying, while your sister pounds on your locked bedroom door saying “Oh, it’ wasn’t THAT bad…”

RULE NUMBER ONE: Take Your Time. Forget counting pounds and calculating minutes. Most turkeys come with a pop-out thermometer. When it’s done, you’ll know it. So set the oven on low—250 degrees is fine. Low temperature means a more moist bird, and it avoids any parts like the wing or the top of the breast from getting overdone. You’ve got all day. Use it.

RULE NUMBER TWO: Fill The Space. When the turkey’s all clean and washed and ready to go in the over, there’s a huge empty space in the middle. Leave it that way, and there will be a mass of flavorless, hot air in that space, drying out your turkey. Ambitious chefs will stuff it.

DON’T be ambitious.

Instead, be simple. If someone’s making dressing, take the leftover bits of onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, whatever—and toss them into the cavity. You’re not going to eat them so it doesn’t matter what they look like. If not, quarter an onion, or an apple (or maybe both, if you like the flavor!) and fill the cavity with it. The goal here is flavored, moist air to take the place of the flavorless dry stuff. Before you serve your turkey, just scoop it and toss it.

RULE NUMBER THREE: Towel It Down. This is a trick I got from my grandmother in rural South Carolina. For most of her life, she cooked with wood stoves or propane stoves that were unreliable when it came to holding heat. In order to protect the turkey from these fluctuations and guarantee a nice, evenly done bird, women in her era used a trick. They covered the turkey in cloth. Here’s how it works:

Melt a pound of butter in a pot or bowl. Before you put the turkey in the preheated oven, soak a clean cheesecloth or thin hand towel in the butter and then drape the butter-soaked towel over the turkey. It doesn't have to cover the bird entirely, but the more the better.

Baste every 15 minutes. Start by ladling more butter from your bowl onto the top of the towel, keeping it lightly moist. Once you’ve got enough drippings in the bottom of the turkey pan, set the butter aside and baste with drippings.

Keep basting the towel. The towel is doing two things for you. The butter barrier is keeping the turkey moist, and the towel is keeping the heat on the turkey even. No dark spot on the breast of a light-brown turkey. Nice, even and brown—every time!

When the thermometer pops, take the bird out and re-baste the towel one last time to moisten it. Then gently peel it off and toss it. The turkey should look great. If you want it a little more brown, place it back in a hotter oven (350 max) for just a few minutes to brown it. But I’ve never had to do that. It’s always been perfect.

ONE LAST TIP: More Time. Give the turkey 30 minutes to sit before you carve. Don’t let anyone bully you into cutting it up early. You can tent it with aluminum foil to keep it warm, but do the carving as close to serving time as you can.

And as they say at the New Orleans School of Cooking… Laissez le bon temps roullez!

It's Not Thanksgiving Without...

Sweet Potato Praline Casserole! I got this magnificent recipe from Alex Patout (left), whose family has been cooking for generations in New Iberia, LA.

Sweet Potato Praline Casserole is the best way to serve sweet potatoes I've ever tasted. And best of all, it's easy and you can make it in advance, refrigerate it, and then pop it into the oven right before you serve it. Because it travels well, I usually take it when I need to make something for a family gathering.

But we warned: Make this once, and your family will demand it every holiday. It's that good.

UPDATE: Some listeners are telling me they're having problems accessing Alex's webpage, so I'm posting the actual recipe below:

Sweet Potato Praline Casserole

Ingredients:5 large sweet potatoes or yams, 1/3 cup milk, 1/2 cup (1/4 pound) softened butter, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup light brown sugar, 2 eggs beaten, 1/3 cup melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Scrub the sweet potatoes or yams well and place them in the oven. Bake until tender, about 40 minutes, and remove. When they are cool enough to handle, halve them and scoop out the insides into a large mixing bowl. Mash well. You should have about 3 cups.

Mix the softened butter into the mashed yams or sweet potatoes along with the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Pour the mixture into a baking pan or casserole dish.

Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar and stir until it dissolves. Cook the mixture over medium heat until it reaches the soft-ball stage on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and beat in the butter and the chopped pecans. Pour this mixture over the yams. Bake until very hot and beginning to brown.

Serves: Serves 6-8.

Additional Notes: During Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, the lines form early in front of the restaurant with people and their empty casserole dishes waiting to fill them with this wonderful side dish. Make it for your next family gathering and they'll ask for it every year.

Are You More Liberal Than A 6th Grader?

Does this look like a classroom assignment to you? Titled "Current Events Introduction," this quiz was handed to new students at East Side Middle School in Manhattan.

The questions are problematic, but what bothered parents even more is that "students are encouraged by teachers in class to reject the statements as false."

In other words, there's a "right" answer to all these questions, according to the teachers. It just happens to be the "left" answer that's right.

Read the entire story here.

The Natural Truth About Police Details

As Massachusetts taxpayers prepare to pay another $100 million for our idiotic mandatory police details--and 126 BPD officers earned more than the mayor last year thanks to this taxpayer abuse--union hacks continue to insist that many of these details actually don't cost us any money because somebody else is paying.

Next time you hear that argument, keep this bit of Natural Truth in mind:

“We’re ratepayers or we’re taxpayers. Whether it comes out of our left pocket or our right pocket, we’re all paying the bill,” Widmer said. “Utilities are not underwriting these costs, they’re passing them on to us.”

That comes to us today courtesy of Michael Widmer at the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation.

The NYTimes: Almost As Accurate As Michael Yon!

For months, I've been bringing you live reports from independent journalist Michael Yon in Iraq (photo right), reports of measurable, undeniable progress in Baghdad.

Today, the news you heard on 96.9 WTKK three months ago finally makes it to...the New York Times!

Actually, I shouldn't be mocking them. After all, the story of American victories in Iraq still hasn't made it to the Boston Globe-Democrat. While the NYTimes has a huge, above-the-fold front-pager on the progress in Iraq, there isn't a SINGLE Iraq story in the A section of today's BG-D. There is, however, a compelling report on page A-9:

"Health Specialists Urge Americans To Reduce Salt Intake."

You can just see the struggle at the news desk on Morrissey Blvd:

"Hmmmm...amazing American successs in Iraq, health report on salt. Oooooh, it's so close. Wait--don't we offer home delivery in Cambridge? Go with the salt."

UPDATE: Sorry, my bad. Turns out there is a tiny, one-column Iraq story, buried below the fold, in the A section. It's about 1/3rd as long as the salt report.

You've Been Warned!

If you are allergic to eggs, please DON'T drink this product!

But if you do have egg allergies and are dumb enough to buy it, you'll be happy to know that your federal government is here to protect you.

You're Against Drivers Licenses For Illegal Immigrants?

What are you...MEXICAN?

"Support Our Troops" Is An Offensive POLITICAL Message?

So says the Weiner who runs the Cambridge Election Commission. According to the Cambridge Chronicle, the reason she gave for booting the Boy Scouts collecting donations for soldiers at polling places is because of "a law that prohibits political messages near any polling station in an election."

In other words, supporting out troops is inherently political. You can't support the troops without supporting some specific political position.

WHAT position? The Weiner didn't say. But even if you agree with the City of Cambridge that supporting our troops is inherenly political, is she right that no political speech is allowed within 150 feet of polling places?

Uh, no. The only speech banned on Election Day is speech advocating a specific candidate. In fact, at least one of the polling places from which the Boy Scouts were ejected had some 75 fliers for other causes and issues, including "Get Out Of Iraq" and the College Democrats.

It turns out that, in Cambridge, the ONLY banned speech is speech supporting our troops. As the Troop leader said on my radio show this morning, his Scouts have had many service activities in Cambridge and on public property. This is the only time the city has complained, and it's the only time the Scouts were aiding our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

All of which proves one thing: Cambridge does not support the war OR the troops.

The Boston Globe-Democrat's "Divisive" Politics

When does a political issue become "divisive?" When you disagree with the Boston Globe-Democrat, that's when.

In an analysis of the Democratic candidates problem with the drivers licenses for illegal immigration issue, the Globe-Democrat worries that the "GOP may exploit this divisive issue." Divisive? 70% of voters oppose it, a huge majority. Where's the so-called "divide?" The same is true of issues like partial-birth abortion and racial quotas, both solidly opposed by a majority of Americans, but labelled "divisive" by the BG-D.

Meanwhile, when the SJC overruled the will of a majority of Massachusetts citizens and created legal same-sex marriage, the Globe-Democrat praised them. When Gov. Patrick urged the state legislature to ignore the state constitution in order to keep the majority of citizens from voting on the issue, the Globe-Democrat cheered.

So when 70% of us disagree with the Globe-Democrat, we're "divided," but when a minority imposes the BG-D's will on the rest of us, we're united?

To the Massachusetts Left, "united" means "doing what we tell you to."

Cambridge: "We Support Our Troops, Except When We Don't."

They were just trying to collect donations for American troops. But the Boy Scouts end up getting busted by the City of Cambridge. All their boxes were taken down at polling stations for being too "pro-war."





That's how FOX 25 reports the story of a Scout troop that wanted to use Election Day as an opportunity to collect items for "care packages" they are sending to our soldiers and Marines abroad.





Scout Troop 45 got permission from the city of Cambridge TWICE to set up collection boxes and "Please Support Our Troops" signs at the 22 polling sites around the city. All was well, until a "Prius Patriot" showed his support for the troops by demanding the boxes be removed. The City of Cambridge promptly agreed and the Boy Scouts were ordered to cease and desist.





But wait--I thought the mantra of the Cambridge Kook was "I support the troops but oppose the war." So how is collecting mouthwash for our soldiers "too pro-war?" Unless, of course, supporting the troops at all is "pro-war." Which means it is, in the opinion of the loony Left, impossible to support the troops without supporting the war.





Could it be that the city of Cambridge has unintentionally revealed the Natural Truth about the Left's position on the war?

WANT TO SUPPORT THE SCOUTS OF TROOP 45? All the info you need is here.

Want To Help Manny Delcarmen Support Our Local Schools?

Then you need to be at the Third Annual "Manny Delcarmen's Bowling Strikes For Schools" event this Saturday. Schilling, Ortiz and Youklis are scheduled to be there, too. Have fun, watch "The Pride of Hyde Park" throw something besides a fastball (this one weighs around 12 pounds) and do something great for the kids of Boston.

All the details are at www.sportsidentity.com

The Season To Be Jolly?

He’s white. He’s male. He eats trans fat, smokes tobacco and is married to a woman.

No wonder they hate Santa Claus in the Massachusetts public schools.

Read the rest in my Boston Herald column today.

Oh, No--Not The SANTA!

What kind of person finds "Miracle On 34th Street" objectionable? Apparently, the kind of people who run McCall Middle School in Winchester, MA. The following email was sent out last Friday:

Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 12:10 AM
Subject: 7th Grade Field Trip Cancellation Notice

Dear 7th Grade Parents and Guardians,

Recently, I was asked why the entire 7th Grade is planning to participate in a field trip on December 19 to see a live performance of Miracle on 34th Street at the Stoneham Theatre when the basic theme is objectionable to some members of our McCall Middle School 7th Grade community. After conferring with the 7th Grade Team Leaders and my administrative colleagues across the school system, I have decided to cancel this field trip. While I believe there are valid reasons for participating in such a trip, the objectionable nature of the content overrides these concerns.

The 7th Graders have been notified about this decision in homerooms this morning. Any money students have paid to date has been returned to them by their homeroom teachersIf you have any questions or comments about this decision, please contact me at 781-xxx-xxxx.

Sincerely yours, Evander French, Jr., Principal.

That's right. He said "the basic theme" and the "nature of the content" of Miracle on 34th Street is "objectionable." To whom? Mr. French doesn't say. (Maybe we should ask Buffy and Jody.)

All we know is that the government education system is rescuing our children from the trauma of seeing a little girl teach Santa to blow bubble gum. The folks at McCall Middle should be so proud.

The Boston Herald has the story here.

UPDATE: If you're interested in seeing this "objectionable" performance at Stoneham Theatre, their website is StonehamTheatre.Org.

Obviously NOT A Graduate of Needham High School

Al Pierre was just passing by the fire on Blue Hill Avenue yesterday. It wasn't his job to stop and help. And a fire is at least as scary as, say, a guy in a suit at a Needham, MA pizza joint. Hanging out in a burning building is probably even more uncomfortable than being left out when the Needham High honor roll appears in the local paper.

Fortunately, Al Pierre isn't from Needham.

"I was driving by, and I saw smoke and a lady on the porch screaming. I had to get that baby."

He climbed up a pole up the side of the burning house, stood on the second-floor balcony, and encouraged a panicking woman to drop a baby into his arms. He then helped two women climb down from the third floor balcony to safety on the ground.

The people in this Mattapan neighborhood call him a hero.

In Needham, he'd probably be under arrest for trespassing.

What REALLY Happened At Today's Boston Veteran's Day Parade

Today at Boston's City Hall Plaza, the Veteran's Day Parade and Salute featured a wonderful group of veterans from every war since WWII. They were joined by hundreds of New England citizen gathered to honor them. And there were at least 200 JROTC participants marching and performing during the parade, shouting their salutes to the veterans who have gone before.

And then there were the so-called "Veterans for Peace." Also known as "pathetic, self-absorbed losers."

Like the majority of people who showed up today to support our troops, I was annoyed when the first "Veterans for Politics" stood in front of the podium just before the program was set to begin. When he was joined by another dozen or so angry anti-Bush activists, my annoyance turned to anger.

These so-called "veterans" stood and blocked the audience's view of the platform where wreaths were to be placed in remembrance of fallen heroes. These obnoxious idiots stood, holding their signs and preventing the tribute from taking place. It should be noted that the signs were about "impeachment" and foreign policy, not about veterans or their sacrifices.

Far from honoring American heroes, these self-absorbed jerks flew the American flag upside down, in the presence of hundreds of people who had been shot at to keep that same flag flying above battlefields abroad.

It turned my stomach, not for any insult towards me--these "VFP" lame-brains can't make a complete sentence, much less an argument worthy of being taken seriously--but for their incredible insult to the veterans.

Once these egomaniacs brought the program to a stop, once they had ensured everyone saw their junior-high-level "statement," the assumption was that they would at least have the decency to go away.

Wrong.

The American Legion representatives politely asked them to move along and stop blocking the podium. The "Angry Spoiled Brats For Stupidity" refused. A police officer also asked politely. Again, they refused. More activists joined them, one from the notoriously nutty "Code Pink" group. Some burned out hippie with a rainbow "PEACE" flag. So much politics, so much self-aggrandizing anger. But no respect for our veterans.

To the credit of the military members--active and retired--in attendance, nobody grabbed these political prima donnas by the scruff of the neck and tossed them onto Tremont Street. But finally, the police officer in charged sighed in resignation. "We'll have to arrest them."

The arrest began and, again, the childish foot-stompers ensured that the salute to our veterans could not continue. Instead of filing away peacefully, each insisted on being arrested in front of the audience. If their hope was to inspire some sympathy, the Veterans for Idiocy know even less about public relations than foreign policy.

The crowd didn't boo. It didn't jeer. The true patriots gathered wouldn't waste their breath. The crowd did exactly the right thing, and ignored them.

I, on the other hand, did not. When I took to the lectern, I confronted these cowards directly. I pointed out that they've got 364 days a year to march around Beacon Hill and make their point. All the rest of us asked for was two hours--TWO HOURS--to honor our veterans. But these reprehensible social rejects didn't have the decency to allow even that.

I called them out. But did they have the guts to approach me? No. In part because, despite the name, not all the participants were veterans. Some of them essentially lied, presenting themselves as veterans to try to steal honor they did not earn.

But veterans or otherwise, they're all spoiled brat '60s weasels who just want attention. Who can't stand the idea that their ideology is still so unpopular, can't stand the fact that they lost the war to stop the war in Iraq, and now are humiliated because our soldiers and Marines are making them look even more stupid by winning it.

So they spewed their pointless anger, fine. But the utter, abject disrespect they showed for the men and women in uniform was disgusted and repulsive. If they had any shame, they would filled with humiliation right now.

But if they had any shame, they wouldn't be the egomaniacal weasels that they are.

UPDATE: Media coverage is just beginning to appear, but I predict it will focus on the protesters and not the veterans themselves.

This Is What The Boston Globe-Democrat Says Is NOT News

Al Qaeda In Iraq has been routed. Defeated. In IRAQ. Booted from Baghdad.

And the news in today's Boston Globe-Democrat? "Teacher Is Shot On Way To School In Baghdad." That's the only story on Iraq in today's Globe-Democrat, other than a piece about the "crimes" committed by the Americans working for Blackwater.

Obviously the death of a teacher, or anyone else, is tragic. But compared to "American forces have routed Al Qaeda in Baghdad," is it really the most newsworthy event? After all, a teacher was just shot outside a school in MIAMI a couple of days ago. Should America withdraw from Florida?

As the situation in Iraq continues to improve, as the military continues to succeed, we are reaching the point where the media coverage from the Boston Globe-Democrat, CBS, CNN, etc. moves from 'bias' to actual dishonesty. Spend a few minutes every day reading the independent reporting from Baghdad being done by Michael Yon, and it becomes clear just how many news stories are being passed over by the mainstream media.

Imagine a Colorado newspaper reporting that the Red Sox lost the World Series. Would we dismiss that as mere bias, or would it be out-and-out lying. War isn't a game and there may not be a final out in the War On Terror, but if the Boston Globe-Democrat had reported on the Red Sox with the same integrity as they are the war in Iraq, Sox fans would have been stunned when they made the playoffs, and astonished when they swept the World Series.

It's possible the liberal media establishment may be just as stunned by events in Iraq. Let's hope so. And let's hope that, one day, the "news" papers realize they missed a very big story.

A BONUS "Natural Truth" For Today

"...an important reason may be that government at the present time is so large that it has reached the stage of negative marginal productivity, which means that any additional function it takes on will probably result in more harm than good.... If a federal program were established to give financial assistance to Boy Scouts to enable them to help old ladies cross busy intersections, we could be sure that not all the money would go to Boy Scouts, that some of those they helped would be neither old nor ladies, that part of the program would be devoted to preventing old ladies from crossing busy intersections, and that many of them would be killed because they would now cross at places where, unsupervised, they were at least permitted to cross." -- Nobel prize-winning economist Ronald Coase on why so many government programs become counter-productive.

(h/t Jonah Goldberg)

When Bad Things Happen To Good People

Why do "underage" college kids drink beer? Is it because, well, they like it? They think it's idiotic to tell a 20-year-old adult he can't have an Amstel Light?

No, it's the beer's fault. The bad beer made them do it. Which is why the state of Massachusetts this weekend is "executing" 20 cases of beer and 150 bottles of liquor confiscated in underage drinking enforcement actions. At least, I assume that's why Treasurer Cahill is destroying this otherwise perfectly good alcohol (I've already volunteered to incarcerate all the booze in question, either in my refrigerator or liquor cabinet, at no expense to the Commonwealth).

If you think punishing the slow gin because some sorority girl was caught with it at a kegger is odd, consider this comment from DA Dan Conley regarding the murder of a shopkeeper by a Dorchester teen earlier this week:

Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley called the shooting a tragedy. “Once again, an illegal gun has struck down an innocent family man, and once again a young man may pay for his actions for the rest of his life,” he said.

I'm sorry--who "struck down an innocent family?" Was it the teen thug who robbed the victim of $60 at gunpoint? No, it was that evil "illegal gun."

There are illegal guns, of course. A bazooka is an extreme example of an illegal gun. And there are bad guns. A gun that, when properly loaded, pop a cap in the aspirations of the hoodlum at which it is pointed is a "bad" gun and needs to be replaced or repaired.

But unless the media are hiding something, it doesn't appear that the gun used by this murderer was illegal cut or modified in any way. It is a gun that I could legally purchase and properly use to defend my family.

Nothing wrong with the gun. The guy carrying it? Oh, he's lousy. He's a thief and a killer. But the gun? No problem at all.

DA Conley clearly doesn't agree. Neither does Mayor Menino, who constantly complains of the scourge of "illegal guns."

This fear of inanimate objects is a bit, well, weird. Naughty beer, illegal guns, bottles of alcohol with bad attitudes. Perhaps it's time to open the "Massachusetts Home For Guns Gone Wrong." Maybe a concerned local priest could start "Beer Town," modeled after "Boys Town," where the motto is "There are no bad beers. Just warm ones."

Once again, I am willing to do my part. I will take every "illegal gun" the District Attorney has and store them at my home. I pledge that I will keep them out of trouble, off the streets and have them in bed every night at 8pm sharp. Perhaps I just have a way with feisty firearms, but I guarantee that these "illegal guns" will instantly end their lives of crime.

Honest, Mayor. Guns aren't really bad. You just have to know how to handle them.

If you read the entire Boston Herald story, you'll notice the sympathy among the prosecutors for the killer in this case. There's a sense of regret, rather than justice, that this murderer might "pay for his actions for the rest of his life."

He might, that's true. But the poor dead guy he gunned down over three $20 bills definitely paid with the rest of his life.

The Details On Details

Yesterday, Gov. Patrick announced on 96.9 WTKK that he's finally ready to "consider" changing the policy that makes Massachusetts the only state mandating cops, not flagmen, work every road project and pothole filling.

Why is this important to you? Because detail work at state projects alone cost you more than $13 million last year. In 2003, this policy drove local detail costs for city and town projects to more than $93 million.

As a result, 123 state police officers earned $150,000 or more in 2006. Four earned more than $200,000, and one Boston cop earned $240,000!

Meanwhile, there were six shootings in 24 hours in Dorchester, and Boston's murder rate remains near a 10-year high.

Sen. Kerry publicly blamed George W. Bush for the high crime rate here in Boston (gee, I didn't even know the president was in town), saying that more cops would cut the crime rate, but President Bush won't pay for it.

But if John Kerry's right, then why won't MASSACHUSETTS pay for it? Is Kerry's position really "Until George Bush picks up the tab, we're going to keep letting kids get shot!"? Or do more cops only prevent crime when the feds pay for it?

Hey, here's a crazy idea: Why not take every cop working a detail right now and put them to work in high-crime areas instead? And we could pay them using the millions we save by hiring flagmen instead of professional cops. Sounds good to me.

It also sounds good in every state in the union...except Massachusetts.

"The Greatest Story Never Told"

That's how economist Larry Kudlow describes the media coverage of the American economy. Instead of obsessing with the 5% or less of the population whose homes are truly at risk in the current mortgage crisis, Kudlow looks at the whole economy:

Real gross domestic product, the best summary report of the American economy, came in at a breathtaking 3.9 percent annual rate for the third quarter. In fact, following the 3.8 percent growth rate for the second quarter, the U.S. economy has posted its strongest quarterly growth in four years. The economy actually appears to be speeding up, following the relatively sluggish performance of the prior 18 months.

On top of this, the inflation rate is actually slowing down. The consumer spending deflator is reading 2.1 percent for the past year, compared to over 3 percent six quarters ago. The core inflation rate is down to 1.9 percent, below the Fed’s 2 percent target.

And that's only part of the good news. Read the whole thing.

Hillary's Position on Illegal Immigration?

She's "forgainst!"

Read all about it in the Boston Herald today.

UPDATE: Hillary now says she definitely supports Gov. Spitzer's plan...maybe. Her specific language a day after the debate:

“Senator Clinton supports governors like Governor Spitzer who believe they need such a measure to deal with the crisis caused by this administration’s failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform,’” her campaign said.

So that's a "yes," right? Or is it that she supports governors LIKE Spitzer, but not Spitzer himself, and she agrees that they BELIEVE they need to give drivers licenses to illegals, but these unnamed governors could be wrong....?