The U.S. Secretary of Transportation has a new blog set up called “Welcome to the Fast Lane”. Check it out.
H/T: Josh Shultz
As Allen Fuller rightfully points points out, FOX News, CNN, NBC, ABC and the rest of the old school gang no longer hold the news reigns. In fact, they’re getting beat down at virtually every corner.
The Fix has an interesting piece on the new realm of political news delivery.
Forget the ongoing primary fight between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.). The primary that really matters is the one between Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert for the hearts, minds and, yes, even the eyeballs of America.
Stewart, the progenitor of political news coverage with a comedic twist, and Colbert, the new kid on the block who starred so famously (or infamously) as the keynote speaker at the 2006 White House Correspondence Dinner, have become major players in the daily hustle and bustle of the 2008 campaign. Candidates clamor to appear on their shows and political junkies tune in night after night.
As much as I hate to admit this, it’s 100% true. We have now become so entrenched in the shock value and entertainment level of news delivery that our society, especially the younger generations, is simply not interested in straightforward news delivery. We need it sexed up, made funny, and jam packed with political incorrectness. You may or may not like Colbert and Stewart, but you have to admit they are providing all three with a pretty powerful punch.
Or at least, that was the case with Officer Chad Stensgaard of Portland. Stensgaard parked in a no parking zone and Attorney Eric Bryant witnessed the event unfold. But, instead of doing nothing, Bryant began filing citizen-initiated citations.
(AP) An attorney who watched a police officer park illegally in front of a restaurant, then wait around while his meal was prepared, issued the officer a series of citizen-initiated violations.
Eric Bryant said he was sitting at the restaurant March 7 when Officer Chad Stensgaard parked his patrol car next to a no-parking sign and walked inside to wait for his food, the Portland Mercury reported Thursday.
Bryant told the weekly paper that when he asked Stensgaard about his car, the officer asked Bryant, “If someone broke into your house, would you rather have the police be able to park in front of your house or have to park three blocks away and walk there?”
Bryant filed a complaint as a private citizen alleging several violations, including illegal parking and illegal operation of an emergency vehicle.
Stensgaard was issued a summons to appear in traffic court in May. The fines could total $540.
“Citizens should be concerned that he used his status as an officer of the law as justification for breaking the law,” Bryant said.
Cathe Kent, a spokeswoman for the Portland Police Bureau, said Stensgaard would fight the complaint in court, “as he rightfully should.”
Parking is limited on city streets, especially with many construction projects downtown, she said, and officers remain on duty even when they are picking up food.
“We are emergency responders and need to be ready to take an emergency call,” Kent said Saturday.
H/T: Jayme Siemer (Great find!!!)
I’ve been meaning to write another freedom movement blog plug post, but because I’ve been traveling for a week I haven’t had time to get around to it. I do, however, have a few minutes while sitting here at the airport in Las Vegas and I figured I would plug Liberty Live, the official blog of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation.
Liberty Live has a very clean, very lively look and feel, and represents what a freedom movement blog should run like. The blog covers local issues revolving around labor, education, election reform, economic policy, public records and constitutional law.
I highly recommend you keep an eye on the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. They’re doing a great job online and I for one applaud their efforts.
For those of you covering or attending Samsphere Denver, Slapstick Politics has a good amount of footage on the event. He’s also got a live blogging interface up so that you can watch the discussion as the session unfolds.
I’ll post the first video here. You can watch the rest here.
[youtube]BdNhb3MWv_I[/youtube]
