Spring Break
Do not listen to debates or news coverage
Rob Schiering
Issue date: 10/20/04 Section: Commentary
If you are planning to base your vote on the presidential debates and post-debate news coverage, I beg you to reconsider.
Both candidates have chocked their arguments full of outright lies and, perhaps more depressingly, major news channels have taken little action in bringing these lies to light. On every issue, from national security to lumber companies, our two presidential candidates have either blatantly lied or shown the American public that they are utterly clueless on some issues, all while our newscasters are too busy with sexual harassment suits or plastic surgery to be bothered with responsible journalism.
One of the more disturbing instances in the final debate involved Sen. John Kerry accusing President George W. Bush of publicly stating that Osama bin Laden didn't concern him. The president threw a stereotypical Bush-tizzy fit, asserting that Kerry was exaggerating. I guess it is almost amusing that the president would deny Kerry's allegations when he stated quite clearly "I just don't spend that much time on him...I'll repeat what I said. I am truly not that concerned by him," during a March 13, 2002 news conference. Maybe the president forgot people tend to tape those conferences?
Speaking of exaggerations, the Bush administration displays a tendency to exaggerate their "accomplishments." Kerry wrongfully accused the president of cutting Pell Grants, while the number of awarded Pell Grants rose by 1.3 million and the size of the grants has risen from $3,300 to $4,050 under Bush. However, Bush claimed that students were receiving "$5,100 as promised." Students were certainly promised $5,100 for first-year students, but like many other Bush proposals this "promise" has fallen short. The sum for a first-year Pell Grant has been stuck at $4,050 for two years and will remain frozen under Bush's 2005 budget plan.
Bush claimed responsibility for blocking shipments of contaminated flu vaccine imported from the U.K., when in reality it was the British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency who blocked the shipment. The FDA did not begin investigating the vaccine for microbial contamination until five days after Chiron Corp., who manufactures the vaccine, informed the Centers for Disease Control on Oct. 5.
Both candidates have chocked their arguments full of outright lies and, perhaps more depressingly, major news channels have taken little action in bringing these lies to light. On every issue, from national security to lumber companies, our two presidential candidates have either blatantly lied or shown the American public that they are utterly clueless on some issues, all while our newscasters are too busy with sexual harassment suits or plastic surgery to be bothered with responsible journalism.
One of the more disturbing instances in the final debate involved Sen. John Kerry accusing President George W. Bush of publicly stating that Osama bin Laden didn't concern him. The president threw a stereotypical Bush-tizzy fit, asserting that Kerry was exaggerating. I guess it is almost amusing that the president would deny Kerry's allegations when he stated quite clearly "I just don't spend that much time on him...I'll repeat what I said. I am truly not that concerned by him," during a March 13, 2002 news conference. Maybe the president forgot people tend to tape those conferences?
Speaking of exaggerations, the Bush administration displays a tendency to exaggerate their "accomplishments." Kerry wrongfully accused the president of cutting Pell Grants, while the number of awarded Pell Grants rose by 1.3 million and the size of the grants has risen from $3,300 to $4,050 under Bush. However, Bush claimed that students were receiving "$5,100 as promised." Students were certainly promised $5,100 for first-year students, but like many other Bush proposals this "promise" has fallen short. The sum for a first-year Pell Grant has been stuck at $4,050 for two years and will remain frozen under Bush's 2005 budget plan.
Bush claimed responsibility for blocking shipments of contaminated flu vaccine imported from the U.K., when in reality it was the British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency who blocked the shipment. The FDA did not begin investigating the vaccine for microbial contamination until five days after Chiron Corp., who manufactures the vaccine, informed the Centers for Disease Control on Oct. 5.