Progressive Minds

Imagine my disappointment that Black Entertainment Television (BET) has cancelled its nightly news program.

Their explanation?  BET says that by the time their nightly news show aired at 11:00 PM EST, many people had already caught up on the headlines of the day, thanks to the internet and 24 hour news channels.

They say, however, that they plan to have news updates throughout the day.

Sure, BET is correct that by the time the 11:00 news rolls around, many people have already caught up on the major news headlines of the day.

The problem is, when I turn on my local news, I really don't see the headlines geared towards people like me: African-Americans. 

The beauty of the BET Nightly News was that it focused on the major issues of the day, from the African-American perspective.  Sadly, I'm not going to get that on MSNBC or CNN.

The state of black America is at critical mass right now: whether it's the African-American unemployment rate (10.3% in June 2005), or the increase in child poverty. If BET won't use its news program to focus on these issues now, who will?

I guess Air America Radio's Randi Rhodes was prophetic when she recently testified before John Conyer's hearing on media bias that "the news has been cancelled."

It didn't come as a big shock to anyone that today, Bush made a recess appointment of John Bolton, to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

What amazes me though, is Bush's ability to lie to the American people about a matter of state, and do it with a straight face.

In announcing Bolton's recess appointment, Emperor Bush said “because of partisan delaying tactics by a handful of senators, John was unfairly denied the up-or-down vote that he deserves.”

Sorry Mr. President, that's a lie!

Bush wants the American people to believe that a majority of Senators supported Bolton's nomination, and only a few partisan Dems were holding it up.  He doesn't want you to know that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent Bolton's nomination to the full Senate without an endorsement.  The Commitee could not endorse the nomination, due in part to Republican Senator George V. Voinovich, who made it clear he opposed Bolton.

He also won't tell you that Sen. Bill Frist, the Republican Majority Leader, voted with the Democrats in May to delay voting on John Bolton's nomination.

So now, we have as our representative to the U.N., the man who once said "there is no United Nations."  Thanks George W!

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/08/01/bolton.appointment/index.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8758621/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/12/AR2005051201487.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7991303/

And here's a wonderful history lesson on recess appointments:

http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RS21308.pdf