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Latest economic indicator: No spin

Marketplace Staff Sep 1, 2006

SCOTT JAGOW: Who’s the best political party for Wall Street? Before you jump to conclusions… Listen to the stats. The Dow has gained more than 13 percent under Democratic presidents.It’s grown only 8 percent when a Republican’s in the White House. That’s stocks. But bonds have grown almost 10 percent under Republicans. And only 2.5 percent under a Democratic president. So I guess it depends on how you look at it. Who manages the economy better? Humorist Tim Bedore looks at it this way:


TIM BEDORE: According to the Bush administration things are going well for American workers, just as they did under Ronald Reagan in the 1980’s, which most Americans believe were an economic boom time for America. Well, not often, but every now and again the media reports a story with the facts, the actual numbers, and neither is true.

So, why would most Americans believe that the party of big business, the Republicans, manage the economy better than the tax and spend Democrats? Simple: It’s what you’re told to believe, that’s why. Why do magicians say they are going to saw a lady in half? If you don’t say it, you don’t have a magic trick. Or, a party the middle class will vote for.

Why do Republicans get away with perpetuating the myths that benefit them and demean Democrats? Because the media is on a plane with a fantasist who believes he killed Jon Benet Ramsey even though he was with his wife and kids, 1,500 miles away the night of the murder.

And don’t expect the media to ruin a good story with a wet blanket fact like that when you can report what the disturbed but innocent nut job had in first class on his flight back to the U.S.?

What’s my point? The liberal media hates Democrats. Wait, let me back up there… there is no such thing as the liberal media. That’s another thing the Republicans would like you to believe that just isn’t true.

So, the conservative media hates Democrats. If you think the media is liberal and protects Democrats, just ask the Clintons how much protection they got from the liberal media on those oh-so-important-issues of Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky.

Now, I’m not saying people who work in the mainstream media aren’t more left than right, I’m just saying they beat up their siblings when in office while letting Daddy get away with murder.

It’s time for you people in the media, even though you are owned by huge corporations which tend to be… let me think… conservative, to quit bending over backwards to prove you are not liberal by refusing to be accurate and/or relevant. Being accurate does not mean you are liberal. Being accurate just means you’re not stabbing democracy in the back.

But if you’re afraid to be accurate and/or relevant, then I, Tim Bedore, confess to the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. If you fly me somewhere in first class, I’ll tell you all about it.

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