The Crazy media world we live in and how it's not helping getting our country out of serious trouble

Whether you like or approve of President Obama, here is one of the challenges he's facing--in addition to two wars, a recession that seems to be continuing, congressional paralysis, enormous bureacracy, a $3.5 billion lobbying industry.

He's also facing a news cycle or lack of one, which comes with the sheer pace of events, unpredictable Facebook posts by the unpredictable Sarah Palin that might, just might need a response, the way news organizations now put themselves into the story (the New York Times daily Webcast with editors discussing upcoming news stories, and an inexperienced White House press corp made of up correspondents who tend to ask really inane, inconsequential questions.

So writes Todd S. Purdum, in an article "Washington, We Have a Problem," in the latest issue of Vanity Fair. Some excerpts from his article:

"Now thank to cable, the Internet, Twitter and Facebook, there is no such thing as a "news cycle in Washington--only one endless, undifferentiated full-color stream of fact, opinion, and attitudinizing, where lies and misinformation flourish equally with truth. ...

"The White House communications director, Dan Pfeiffer, still has a Blackberry alert to tell him when The Washington Post and The New York Times have gone live online wit their next day's stories, but this is almost an antique holdover, given that any blogger at any moment can generate a story that forces the White House to respond."

"The life experiences--and thus the sense of perspective, history and balance--of today's Washington reporters are qualitatively different from those of their predecessors. An entire generation of Beltway journalists has come of age being taught that the way to succeed is to be smart--if not smart-alecky--young thing."

"Perhaps the biggest change that technology has wrought is the ability of almost any rumor to get a foothold in the public discussion and go viral in the broader media. ... The viral communities of the Internet made outright falsehood nearly impossible to extinguish. Was Obama born in Kenya? Of course not ... yet a recent New York Times/CBS poll reveals that 20 percent of Americans believe Obama was born in another country."

U.S. Reps Miller and Garamendi invite you to learn the truth about health care reform at Thursday

"Learn the honest truth and facts about health care reform."

So says an invitation to a forum Thursday with US Representatives George Miller and John Garamend that is hosted by a coalition of labor and community groups from Contra Costa County and nearby areas.

The forum takes place 5 p.m. Thursday at IBEW 302, 1875 Arnold Way, Martinez.

The two East Bay congressman will be talking about the health care reconciliation bill that President Obama just signed. Thursday's forum is sponsored by the Contra Costa Building & Construction Trades Council, Contra Costa Central Labor Council, Napa Solano Building and Construction Trades Council, Napa Solano Central Labor Council, Contra Costa County Democratic Central Committee, League of United Latin American Citizens (LuLAc), NAACP East County Branch, and the NAACP Richmond Branch.

For more information, contact the Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center, (925) 933-7850 http://www.mtdpc.org/.

East Bay Tea Party'ers protest Garamendi's support of health care reform bill outside his Walnut Creek office

With a historic health care reform vote expected in the House Sunday, a small East Bay group associated with the Tea Party protested on Thursday afternoon outside the North Broadway office of U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, who represents California's 10th congressional district. It was the second afternoon in a row the group was out in front of the Atrium building on Broadway.  

Garamendi, a Democrat, is a strong supporter of the legislation and is expected to vote yes. Rep Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton), whose office the protesters planned to rally in front of Friday, is said to be leaning yes but wants to analyze the bill before he makes a final decision. Democratic Reps. George Miller, Barbara Lee ,and Pete Stark also say they will vote yes on the heavily debated compromise bill.

"At the end of the day, this debate boils down to two questions," Garamendi says on his website. "Do we stand with the millions of people without coverage and millions more one pink slip away from health care ruin? Or do we stand with the entrenched interests who will do all they can to stop reform to maximize their profits at the expense of patients? I believe every American deserves access to affordable health care coverage, and I will do all I can to make that happen."

But Heather G., an Alamo mom and realtor who has been helping to organize Tea Party protests at various East Bay locations over the past several months, says health care reform would be disastrous for the economy, and amounts to those in power hijacking control of our country from the will of the people. "Our main concerns as Tea Partyers is the amount of spending and what that will do to the country," she said.

Republicans have attacked the $940 billion legislation as a government takeover of the health care industry financed by tax increases and higher Medicare cuts.

But Heather G. said that this particular protest wasn't just about health care reform but about the entire direction the country is headed in. She said a lot of people are fed up and angry.

"I don't know what will happen is the bill passes," she said. "It's going to get really, really ugly."

She emphasized that her group is made of people of both major political parties and that their protests are always peaceful. "We don't advocate violence."

Besides objecting to the direction the country is going in, under President Obama and the Democratic leadership, the protesters also sniffed at the idea that Garamendi doesn't even live in the 10th congressional district that he represents and is barely seen here. 

The Congressional Budget Office released a report Thursday saying that House changes to this legislation will shave $138 billion from the federal deficit over the next decade and save as much $1.2 trillion over the following decade.