Gruber revealed medias true colors
The recent videotaped discussions of MIT Professor Jonathan Gruber revealed much more than his own chutzpah; it manifested but a microcosm of the mendacity that prevails in politics and the press. The once-vaunted fourth estate has long since lost its objectivity and leaped, not slid, into outright corruption (Note that it was a private citizen, not a "journalist" who uncovered the Gruber videos). The only upside to untruthfulness is its belated but growing exposure to the American public. Regular reasoned, well-documented conservative positions are ignored or summarily dismissed by the mainstream media — "Move on folks, nothing to see here. …"
Gruber's snarky comments about "stupidity" are not so much down-putting as they are revealing of academia and the entire Obama administration. Sure, seeing the man-on-the-street interviews reveals low-information voters and some who are stone-cold stupid — irrespective of age, ethnicity or education. Could/should they pay more attention to proposed legislation and political shenanigans? Absolutely, but most Americans are concerned more about their daily activities, peer pressure, rely too much on party line and bloc voting, and don't readily recognize the subterfuge inherent in 90-word legalese sentences. It's galling to witness Gruber brag about his chicanery.
The reluctance of government agencies to reveal relevant information unless accompanied by FOIA requests is standard procedure as evinced by Fast and Furious, Benghazi, the IRS, the VA scandals to name but a few. The attorney general was held in contempt of Congress for this very reason, and has injected his personal racial bias onto the American public — hardly something a reputable AG should do. This is matched by an administration that earns more Pinocchio awards than could have been created in a Walt Disney workshop.
— Chuck Orr
Anchorage
Insurance company is responsible
Reggie Kelley expressed frustration when his benefits were cut 60 percent because the annuity company went into liquidation (ADN, Monday). I'm not an attorney but it seems to me the responsible party's insurer arranged the annuity and if they arranged the annuity with a company that did not have the financial ability to provide the benefits agreed upon, that insurance company should be responsible for the lost benefits. Good luck, Reggie.
— Arlene Carle
Anchorage
Murkowski has lost dignity, humanity
Lisa Murkowski is a U.S. senator because of the actions of one man, Byron Mallott. He worked tirelessly to get moderate Democrats to vote for her. Yet as he was running to help rid us of the worst governor Alaska ever had, oil lobbyist Sean Parnell, she said she "was too busy thinking about the Senate race" to get involved. Yes, thinking takes so much time.
And then she sticks the knife in Mark Begich's back by denying that they work well together. She got her chairmanship, but lost whatever dignity or humanity she had.
— Connie Faipeas
Anchorage
Happy Turkey Day from Turkic Net
As the Turkish-Americans prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, a quintessential American celebration, and will feast on turkeys, some history that connects us all is in order.
The homeland of the turkey bird, the fowl known as Meleagris gallopavo or Americana sybestris auis, is the North American continent. The 1494 Tordesillas treaty, the work of the pope in Rome, granted the monopoly of commerce originating from the newly discovered continent to the Portuguese, who in turn then brought this fowl to their Goa colony in India.
Meleagris gallopavo was then introduced to Egypt, a province of the Ottoman Empire and entered the Turkic and other languages as 'hindi' (from India). When traders took a breeding stock from Ottoman (Turkish) Egypt to Spain and the British Isles, the bird was designated "turkey."
As a result, the pilgrims who landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620 were familiar with the "turkey" they encountered in their new home. Since then, no Thanksgiving is complete without the Meleagris gallopavo, better known as "turkey."
Once again, wishing you a happy Thanksgiving from the members of the U.S. Turkic Network.
— Jamila Scheve
Anchorage
Winning strategy was unsuccessful
With reference to Sen. Begich's reflections.
Dear Sen. Begich (and Shannyn Moore):
May I suggest that in a state with the majority of population born Outside it's not a winning strategy to say that your opponent is unqualified to represent Alaska because "he's not from here."
— Paul Johnson
Anchorage
Sentiments embarrass writer, readers
This is in response to David Cox's letter (ADN, Saturday) about how whites suffered disproportionately during the Civil War. Cox seemed unsure if that war had anything to do with slavery, but whites paid the price for it and everyone (including blacks) should just "get over it." This reminded me of an interview that "Daily Show" correspondent Aasif Mandvi had with North Carolina Republican precinct chair Don Yelton after his state added new voter ID requirements. Yelton proudly stated that the new law would suppress black and youth votes that were typically Democratic, contrary to the official Republican position that the law was to reduce "voter fraud." Mandvi replied "You know we can hear you, don't you?" So, Mr. Cox … you know we can hear you, don't you?
— David Strait
Anchorage
Delegation can relieve harassment
I just read that the mayoral race is already firing up. We still have old political signs up in places around town and at least one candidate is already passing out new ones.
Even though the last race ended Nov. 4, I'm still finding daily "missed calls" registered on my phone, and I continue to identify calls that I will not answer because I know or suspect they are from pollsters or political campaigns. We citizens cannot stop this barrage of phone calls because our elected officials in Washington, D.C., have exempted political campaigns from honoring the national Do Not Call Registry. I have yet to meet one person who considers these calls a welcome intrusion. The prospect of a renewed round of harassment by phone paints a bleak picture of the days ahead.
Don, Lisa and Dan: Please do something productive and make the Do Not Call registry apply to all non-government entities.
— Mark Sutherlin
Anchorage
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