Headlines Tuesday 6th October 2009

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Campaign Blasts Stuttering YouTube Attack As 'Cheap Shot'

Virginia gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds' campaign blasted the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television on Monday for mocking the Democrat's occasional stuttering, calling it a "cheap shot and a new low" in the campaign. - Democrats fight amongst themselves -ed

Street theatre to stop boat people
TAXPAYERS are funding a secret war against illegal immigration as the Rudd Government attempts to stem the boatpeople flow. - Rudd's policy is killing people. This suggestion does nothing as a solution. -ed.

Wooly Mammoth World Tour: First Stop, America

A baby woolly mammoth, frozen in soil for 40,000 years in Siberia, was so well preserved that traces of her mother's milk were still in her stomach.

Jennifer Hawkins in trademark dispute over Cozi label

A PUSH by former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins to carve out a business career has hit a hurdle, with her recently launched bikini label subject to a trademark dispute.

Nobel first for Aussie woman
BIOLOGIST Elizabeth Blackburn has become the first Australian woman to win a Nobel prize.

Homeowners prepare for rate pain
HOMEOWNERS who thought they had weeks before they had to start worrying about rate rises may be in for a rude shock today.

Chilling words of a killer grandad
A WOMAN whose father murdered her children and mother has spoken about the tragedy.

Tots want bras, pre-teens want Brazilians
MUMS are allowing girls as young as 10 to have Brazilian waxes and hold parties at beauty salons.

Ryan still flyin' for bad girl Gordon
RYAN Stokes is still carrying a torch for his ex-girlfriend Jodi Gordon and is attempting to reunite with her.

Monty Python celebrates 40 years

MONTY Python's Flying Circus, the group which launched the Ministry of Silly Walks and the Parrot Sketch on an unsuspecting world, has celebrated 40 years since the comedy sketch show was first aired.

Relatives agree to mass burials
GRIEF-stricken Samoans agree to hand over tsunami victims for mass burials rather than take them back to ravaged villages.

Greek PM George Papandreou to spend his way out of crisis
GREECE'S new socialist prime minister George Papandreou has fine-tuned plans to spend for a 100 days to rescue the economy after his party's election triumph. - Rudd is like that socialist - ed.

Little Britain's Matt Lucas' ex Kevin McGee commits suicide

THE former husband of Little Britain star Matt Lucas has committed suicide 10 months after they divorced. Kevin McGee, 32, who wed Lucas in a 2006 civil ceremony, left a suicide note on Facebook, The Sun reported. It said: "Kevin McGee thinks death is much better than life." Police found McGee hanged at his flat after they broke in last night. He had posted his suicide message on Facebook three hours earlier. - happiness requires integrity, not permission. -ed.

'Shroud of Turin' created in laboratory

AN Italian scientist has reproduced the Shroud of Turin, a feat that he says proves definitively that the linen some Christians revere as Jesus Christ's burial cloth is a medieval fake.
=== Journalists Corner ===

Dumb Idea? Letterman Story
First, yes, I would like to interview Halderman's lawyer (Halderman is the one who is accused of blackmailing David Letterman). Second, I just watched an interview the lawyer did. What a lousy idea it was for him to do the interview! Either the lawyer needs to brush up on how to handle the media or [...]
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Michael Moore's new film has audiences raving and Wall Street fuming ...
But what's he really saying ... or is he just furthering his own agenda?
Hannity goes toe-to-toe with Michael Moore!
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A Big Mistake?
Should President Obama be holding nuclear talks with Tehran? Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard weighs in!
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Presidential Coverage
How is the mainstream media covering the president? 'The O'Reilly Factor' has complete analysis!
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The Health Care Vote!
What's in the plan? What will it cost you? And is this the lifeline the president needs - for his health care agenda?
=== Comments ===
Chicago’s loss brings Obama back to earth
Piers Akerman
WORSHIPPERS of US President Barack Obama may have been stunned by the International Olympic Committee’s rejection of Chicago as host of the 2016 Games despite personal lobbying by the US leader and his wife Michelle at the count in Copenhagen.- Well put, Piers. Your points are made, embellished with verifiable truths. The same may not be said of your critics.
It is remarkable how accepting many are of the corruption of organizations after Obama has worked with them .. why not corrupt while Obama was with them? Obama married a wealthy girl who wrote some popular fiction. Maybe she bought his senate seat in much the same way as his seat was being sold. Maybe Obama bought the presidency? Maybe Acorn was corrupt before Obama worked for them (maybe not). Certainly Obama CHANGED Chicago's IOC hope.
When I was last in Chicago, the Governor had friends in the arms industry. His friends needed guns tested. The result was that the governor had a bill passed which allowed hunters to buy and use automatic rifles in the hunting of rabbits .. hardly seems sporting. - ed.

Obama was an affirmative action pick nothing more. With Hilary ‘the Serbs shot my plane down’ Clinton waiting in the wings his prospects for a second term look shaky at best. The American public is gradually waking up to the fact that Obama is merely more of the same - His financial policies are a direct continuation of George Bush’s. Both men were and are taking orders from the federal reserve and its chief looter Ben Benanke. Unless and until the American public boot out all 535 members of the Congress/Senate and its executive nothing will change. Sure Obama can make a pretty speech but he is doing nothing to solve America’s real problems - Massive debt and a Government run by banking interests.

America’s debt burden is symptomatic of a deeper malaise that has developed in that nation’s culture. America’s media has encouraged an instant gratification attitude amongst its populace and this has lead to a large ‘entitlement complex.’ One need look no further than the auditions for their crappy dance shows for evidence of this entitlement complex - Every single last one of these idiots thinks they can be a star. Gone from America is the ethos of hard work and gradual wealth building. Years ago Americans spoke of “know How” and “competition” ...what are they speaking about now? Government handouts and handicapping competitive nations like China.

Obama is little more than an advertising icon meant to sucker in the less dapper of brain.

Party on

Tim of Hooverville

Tim, I disagree with you on the summation of conservative politics or former President Bush (the one preceding Obama, not the one preceding Clinton). Bush's policies were very good for the US people. His administration was gifted, hard working and under appreciated. History will smile on it, while history will probably look on Obama as the first corrupt black President. Fiscally, there is no comparing President Bush with Obama. Obama has spent big on pork barrels, Mr Bush timed his expenditures and aimed them at targets, not at pork barrels. Remember that President Bush got a profound change in Iraq policy which bore fruit against a hostile congress? Obama can only spend up big on a friendly one. - ed
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O'Reilly Challenges New York Times Book Review Editor About His New Book 'The Death of Conservatism'
This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," October 2, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

Watch "The O'Reilly Factor" weeknights at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET!

JUAN WILLIAMS, GUEST HOST: In the "Factor Original Segment" tonight: Are conservatives a dying breed? A new book by the editor of The New York Times book review says yes. So why has Sarah Palin's memoir, which won't even be released until next month, already rocketed to No. 1 on Amazon.com's best-seller list? Bill recently challenged Sam Tanenhaus, the author of the book, "The Death of Conservatism."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL O'REILLY: So your book, you have classical conservatives and movement conservatives. What's the difference?

SAM TANENHAUS, AUTHOR, "THE DEATH OF CONSERVATISM": Well, I think classical conservatives believe in the idea of governance, the idea that our elected officials are there to help us run our society; that they see society and politics, the vehicles of politics as important to keeping us all together. Movement conservatism, I think, is more about a kind of culture war. It's about defining who the enemies might be in our society.

O'REILLY: Can't you be both?

TANENHAUS: You can be both. And in fact, as I point out in the book, some of the great modern conservatives have done precisely that. Ronald Reagan is a really good example.

O'REILLY: We did a poll last week asking our viewers to say which news organizations are trusted the least, and The New York Times was second. NBC News came in first. Why do so many people — conservatives, moderates, libertarians — have a problem with The New York Times?

TANENHAUS: I think because The New York Times is a liberal newspaper.

O'REILLY: But it's more than a liberal newspaper. It attacks. It attacks me all the time, and it attacks people like me. And you're 12 to 1 liberal to conservative columnists. Twelve to one.

TANENHAUS: Well, I think there we make a distinction, or I would, between liberal and left. To me, leftism is marching in the streets in the 1960s. It's a kind of hatred of American values, American society. But I don't see a liberal president, John F. Kennedy for instance, as being a leftist. I think The Times falls into the liberal tradition. Could the paper be more upfront about that? I think it could be.

O'REILLY: You know, you got guys like Herbert and Krugman and Dowd, and I mean — and Frank Rich. I mean, these are bomb-throwers, and they're doing all they can to diminish conservatives in this country.

Now, you're the editor of the book review, and interestingly enough your book is called "The Death of Conservatism." But in the last year, you've got 15 books on The Times list, including mine, that were best-sellers. Only three were reviewed out of the 15. These are conservative books. Three out of 15. Can you explain that?

TANENHAUS: No. Are you kidding? You don't read us.

O'REILLY: Yes, I do.

TANENHAUS: All during the Iraq war.

O'REILLY: No, no, no. I'm talking about these stats right there.

TANENHAUS: No, no. We were hammered week after week. I was called the king of the neocons.

O'REILLY: Three out of 15.

TANENHAUS: I was attacked constantly. I still am.

O'REILLY: It seems to me, Mr. Tanenhaus, that is unfair. Am I wrong?

TANENHAUS: Well, you may be right. But I'll tell you the grounds.

O'REILLY: OK, I may be right? Why do you allow it to happen?

TANENHAUS: Well, I'll tell you what happens. First of all, someone like yourself dominates the most important book in our section. You have an enormous platform. We review one percent of the books published each year.

O'REILLY: But these are huge books.

TANENHAUS: You want to know...

O'REILLY: These are big books.

TANENHAUS: That's exactly the point.

O'REILLY: All right. Now...

TANENHAUS: Partly because they're so big, our readers don't need us to tell us about them.

O'REILLY: Do you think you're a fair man?

TANENHAUS: I try to be.

O'REILLY: OK. And you're the editor of the book review. Let me throw up the illustration you — you put in the paper in your book review from my book, "Culture Warrior."

TANENHAUS: It's a caricature.

O'REILLY: No, the caricature makes me look like the devil, all right?

TANENHAUS: Oh, come on.

O'REILLY: Every — every — look at them. Look at the faces. Look at them closely.

TANENHAUS: It is a parody of views of you.

O'REILLY: All right, parody, caricature.

TANENHAUS: We caricature everybody. Look at the way we caricatured Hillary Clinton.

O'REILLY: I've never seen anybody caricatured to that degree.

TANENHAUS: You didn't see our Hillary Clinton review.

O'REILLY: I didn't. OK. "Death of Conservatism" is Mr. Tanenhaus' book, and we appreciate you coming in.

TANENHAUS: My pleasure.
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PIXIE RUDD
Tim Blair
“See Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as you have never seen him before,” warns some kind of elf awareness site, “with a pair of fairy wings and a healthy appetite of marvellous muffins to oversee Fairy HQ as his Excellency, PM Puckle.” Dear God …

Further: “PM Puckle will come to life in the new animated TV series, PEARLIE based on Wendy Harmers bestselling books, set to air on Network Ten on Sunday October 25 2009 at 7.30am.” Well, that should help with Rudd’s recognition problem. Click here for video, but note that the voice isn’t quite right. Needs more estrogen.
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THE PRICE IS RAY
Tim Blair
Attention, Parramatta fans! Get over your Grand Final depression by buying the house of your dreams, complete with an all-Eel custom kitchen! In Melbourne, however …
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WARMING TANKED
Tim Blair
A certain hockey stick has been flattened lately, but at Townsville Aquarium it remains proudly angular:

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EDUCATION REVOLUTION
Tim Blair
Reader Cuckoo emails:

I’m currently in London, and was watching the TV quiz show University Challenge, which you probably know – two teams of four university whiz kids answer general knowledge questions, under the baleful eye of Jeremy Paxman.

One round involved identifying pictures of various world leaders who’d attended the recent G20. First slide was a picture of Kevin Rudd with his wife. Dead silence. NOT ONE of the eight contestants had the faintest idea who this man was.

Sadly, BBC online video is not viewable in Australia. If anyone in the UK is able to locate and forward the abovementioned clip, I will burn a wicker man in their honour.
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JUST A BUNCH OF ADVOCATES
Tim Blair
Oh dear.

UPDATE. Stan and Kyle spell things out for the slow.