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May 9, 2008

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Reverence, Yes; Worship, No

Mona Charen: Did Israel Drive Out the Arabs 60 Years Ago?

JWisdom: Ultimate opportunities by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

May 8, 2008

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Israel at 3,500+

Jonathan Tobin: Still Fighting the Same War

Steven Plaut: How ‘nakba’ proves the fiction of a Palestinian Nation

JWisdom: Taking Israel for Granted? by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

May 7, 2008

Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Israel is irrelevant to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Dion Nissenbaum: Latest Olmert scandal could derail efforts to force Israel's compromises

JWisdom: My Inner Ventriloquist by Sara Yoheved Rigler

May 6, 2008

Caroline B. Glick: Anti-Zionism at 60

The Kosher Gourmet By Ethel G. Hofman: In honor of Israel's 60th anniversary, the former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with a smorgasbord featuring the taste and essence of the Jewish homeland

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Jewish Deer in Nazi Headlights

May 5, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Busy work

Jonathan Mark: Remarkable half-century old Mike Wallace interview with Abba Eban puts current anti-Israel sentiment into perspective

May 2, 2008

Rabbi Berel Wein: Rote religiosity

Caroline B. Glick: Whitewashing Hamas

JWisdom: Parent trap?

May 1, 2008

David Zwiebel: Faith communities can learn from Orthodox Jews in stimulating private philanthropy for religious education

George Friedman and Peter Zeihan of Stratfor: The Shift Toward an Israeli-Syrian Agreement

JWisdom: It's time to wake up by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis

April 30, 2008

Jonathan Tobin: Pennsylvania's Democratic slugfest may leave some Jewish votes up for grabs

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: Fresh herbs, sauteed veal and tiny creamer potatoes makes a light spring dinner

JWisdom: How to Build a Mentch by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

April 29, 2008

Daniel Pipes: Barack Obama's Muslim Childhood

Joel Brinkley: On human rights, the U.N. once again strikes out

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: When The Truth is Unbelievable

April 28, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: I'm often stuck in the doctor's waiting room for hours! Doesn't he owe me something for my wasted time?

Steven Emerson: New U.S. government policy advises agencies to avoid using some of the very same words that make up terror groups' names

JWisdom: Why You & I Never Die: A Jewish View of Immortality, Part I by Rabbi David Aaron

April 25, 2008

Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg: Schadenfreude isn't kosher for Passover --- or at any other time

Rabbi Berel Wein: The secret of how the data bank of memory is transferred from one generation to the next

JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, Part III

April 24, 2008

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: The successful failure

Fred Burton and Scott Stewart of Stratfor: Placing the terrorist threat to the food supply in perspective

JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, Part II

April 23, 2008

Connie Ogle: An intricate game of a novel

Jonathan Tobin: Making Sense of the 'J Street' Jive

JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen

April 22, 2008

Jonathan Rosenblum: Why Israel's 'Leaven law' matters

Caroline B. Glick: Obama the Savior

April 18, 2008

Rabbi Harvey Belovski: Multimedia tool of antiquity

Caroline B. Glick: Revealed Truths vs. revealed lies

JWisdom: More than miracles by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

April 17, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran: Deconstructing Dayeinu

Rabbi Elazar Meisels: Is innovation at the Seder a slap at tradition?

JWisdom: Discovering Your Divine Mission, Part III by Rabbi David Aaron

April 16, 2008

Jonathan Tobin: A Prayer for Sderot's Children

Ethel G. Hofman: Sumptuous Seder

JWisdom: The Divine is in the details by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

April 15, 2008

Rabbi Dovid Zauderer: Let Charlton Heston Go!

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Jimma, tyranny's enabler

JWisdom: Relationships: Beyond Mars & Venus, Part IV by Dr. Lisa Aiken

April 14, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: The Snitching Supervisor

Jonathan Tobin: Forget the Fun and Games!

JWisdom: Sincerity is Valued Most by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D.

April 11, 2008

Rabbi David Gutterman: A Mystery in the Middle East

Caroline B. Glick: Why Ahmadinejad smiles

JWisdom: Elevated illness by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

April 10, 2008

Stratfor Intelligence Briefing by George Friedman: A Mystery in the Middle East

The Kosher Gourmet By Steve Petusevsky: The spring elegance of asparagus

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: The Power of Rational Lies

April 9, 2008

Michael Feldberg: An all but forgotten Colonial doctor who put his Jewish values before his life

Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkel's "Everything's Relative" gets philosophical

JWisdom: Four Rabbis in Bnei Brak by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

April 8, 2008

Caroline Glick: Covering for the enemy

Elliot B. Gertel: 'House' goes Hasidic

JWisdom: Relationships: Beyond Mars & Venus, Part III by Dr. Lisa Aiken

April 7, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: I have a translating business. Recently someone asked me to translate some financial documents that are clearly forged. Should I agree?

Jonathan Rosenblum : Israel is unwittingly helping to fuel the international campaign of delegitimization against it

JWisdom: Matzah and leaven as a life philosophy by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D.

April 4, 2008

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The Mystery of Suffering

Caroline B. Glick: Fear of democracy

JWisdom: Dirty Jews by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

April 3, 2008

Rabbi Y. Y. Rubinstein: Parents --- and the children who would be them

The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Manweiler: Tempted by restaurant dressings? Don't be. Here are recipes that can be made at home, healthier!

JWisdom: The importance of retaining a 'slave mentality' by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

April 2, 2008

Mitch Albom: Child abuse, disguised as faith

Jonathan Tobin: Unreasonable Accommodations

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith with Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Eliminating Jewish Influence over Germans

March 22, 2007

J-Rhythms with Avraham Rosenblum: JWR's cutting-edge music program showcasing performers -- singers, song writers, musicians, and bands -- who learn and live the Torah lifestyle (OUR NEWEST IGODCAST !)

Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review Sept. 20, 2007 / 8 Tishrei 5768

The media's spin on Greenspan

By Larry Elder


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Let's play "Jeopardy!"


Answer: This news event triggered the following headlines. "Greenspan Faults Bush in Book; Ex-Fed Chief: Politics Trumped." "Former Fed Chair Greenspan Criticizes Bush in Book." "In New Book, Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan Bashes Bush." "Greenspan Book Criticizes Bush and Republicans — 'They Deserved to Lose.'" "Greenspan Is Critical of Bush in Memoir; Former Fed Chairman Has Praise for Clinton." "Greenspan Decries Course of Bush and GOP in New Book."


Question: What is the publication of former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's new book?


The headlines provide yet another glaring example of the liberal bias of the traditional press. For the headlines leave the reader wondering. Greenspan criticized Bush about what? His tax cuts? The sluggish federal response to Katrina? The war in Iraq? The alleged constitutional abuses in connection with the war on terror? The Bush position on immigration reform? No Child Left Behind? The prescription benefit bill for seniors? What?


But, in fact, Greenspan criticized Bush — and congressional Republicans — for excessive spending. How about a headline like "Ex-Fed Chair Says Bush Spends Too Much," or "Greenspan Says Bush Failed to Rein in Spending," or "Republicans Spend Like Democrats Says Ex-Fed Chair"? Why, you ask, did the newspaper headlines fail to say that?


The actual headlines accomplish two things. The traditional media can gleefully report on another Bush "defection," reinforcing the notion of near-universal unhappiness with Bush and his "failed presidency." But second, and more importantly, it protects Democrats. How? Take the excesses of the Bush administration — examine the non-defense, non-homeland security, non-automatic pilot "entitlement program" expenses like Medicare and Social Security. Bush's excesses then consist of No Child Left Behind, the prescription benefit bill for seniors, and the pork-riddled highway and energy bills. In each case, Democrats criticized Bush for not spending more.


Democrats criticized No Child Left Behind, but not for its enactment. Instead they call the program "insufficiently funded." They similarly criticize the Bush prescription benefit bill for seniors because of the so-called "donut hole," which included certain seniors. In other words, Bush insufficiently funded the bill. And on the energy and highway bills, both parties larded them up with so-called earmarks. So if you scratch the surface, Greenspan actually says if you think Republicans are bad, wait 'til you get a load of the Democrats.


The liberal media also grabbed hold of Greenspan's assertion that President Bill Clinton's 1993 economic plan demonstrated "courage." Huh? Clinton raised the top marginal tax rate from former President George Herbert Walker Bush's 31 percent to 40 percent. Yet Greenspan supported, while most Democrats opposed, President George W. Bush's tax cuts. Greenspan even supported making the tax cuts permanent.


But back to excessive spending. Check out the health care schemes of Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. They wish to partially fund their programs by repealing, or allowing to expire, the Bush tax cuts, while adding a tax hike on the "rich."


Greenspan, who calls himself a "libertarian Republican," recently said that Sen. Clinton "wouldn't be a bad president." But how can any self-respecting libertarian Republican support her recently announced $110 billion universal health care program? It mandates health insurance for every American. By the way, when asked whether her plan includes illegal aliens, a Clinton spokeswoman said, "That's one we're going to have to think through a little bit." Oh.


Does this "libertarian Republican" who called Clinton's tax hikes "courage" remember President George H.W. Bush's pledge not to raise taxes? G.H.W.B. raised taxes, but later said he regretted it. Does Greenspan remember that President Reagan, too, raised taxes, and also later said he regretted doing so?


The libertarian Republican's praise of President Clinton seems philosophically inconsistent on another level. Has Greenspan forgotten about Clinton's attempt at a government takeover of health care, one-seventh of the nation's economy? Republicans stopped him. Does Greenspan remember Clinton's attempt to push through a multibillion-dollar "economic stimulus plan"? Republicans stopped him. Even Bill Clinton, in giving a speech before some wealthy donors in Houston, said that he "raised your taxes too much." (After criticism, Clinton later said he regretted saying that he regretted raising taxes.)


So here's the drill.


Traditional media rush to use Greenspan to batter Bush. Then they downplay Greenspan's essential charge — that government spends too much. They top it off by showing a complete lack of curiosity as to how a self-described "libertarian Republican" can simultaneously support the Bill Clinton tax hikes and the George W. Bush tax cuts.


Confused? The solution is simply not to delve too deeply. That's why we have headlines.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

JWR contributor Larry Elder is the author of, most recently, "Showdown: Confronting Bias, Lies and the Special Interests That Divide America." (Proceeds from sales help fund JWR) Let him know what you think of his column by clicking here.

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