Another Beginning

It’s far from over. Obama’s first term has only just begun. The economy’s a mess, the Iraq war is still going on, Afghanistan and Pakistan may be revisited… the list is endless. Now, as the Obama’s honeymoon with the press continues, we need someone, more than ever, checking the facts, asking the hard questions, and keeping the world informed.

Journalists, I implore you, I beg you, to step up to the plate, and do your job.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of readership, this journalist will no longer be publishing articles on “Notes from the Bubble.” Be sure, however, to look for her work in other, more well-read publications, across the nation.

Thanks to those who did read my work. It’s you who keeps journalism afloat, even in these trying times.

"Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." Thomas Jefferson

An Obama Cabinet

Secretary of State: New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

Homeland Security: Arizona Govenor Janet Napolitano

Justice: former deputy attorney general Eric Holder

Health and Human Services: former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle

Treasury: Timothy F. Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

National Security Adviser: retired Marine General James L. Jones

Surprisingly, Palin May Know Geography

The story about Sarah Palin’s misconception of Africa being a country, rather than a continent, was proved false… after being reported by several news organizations, including Fox News, The New Republic, and The LA Times.

David Shuster , a Fox News MSNBC Anchor, mentioned the misinformation on air this Monday. Today, it was discovered that Martin Eisenstadt, the “McCain policy advisor” who reported that Palin thought Africa was a country, does not exist. “His blog” includes fictional information, and “the think tank he works for” is actually the Harding Institute—a website. His “YouTube clips” exist… but the man speaking in them is not named “Martin Eisenstadt.” He is Eitan Gorlin, a film-maker.

Gorlin and business partner Dan Mirvish claim that they made up the character of “Martin Eisenstadt” to pitch a TV show, which will be based on Martin’s life. Gorlin is a friend of a reporter for the New York Times, who “confirms” that this is true.

Gorlin and Mirvish state that they should not be blamed for the leaking false information to the press. Gorlin even stated that “Eisenstadt is no more of a joke than half the bloggers or political commentators on the Internet or television.”
No matter who is to blame, the fact remains that three major news organizations printed false information, and clearly did not fact-check the stories. Or, if they did, they ignored some flakey information, and overlooked several red-flags that suggested that something was “off” with the story.

In 2005, Dan Rather left the CBS network after reporting information from fabricated documents. Rather, at least, based his story on what he believed were facts.

In the Palin case, there are no documents. There is no source. The whole story was based off of a YouTube Video.

Will there be consequences for the three networks who reported false information, or the reporters who did so? Should there be? Have the news organizations lost any credibility in the eyes of the viewers, or are the American people now accustomed to “mistakes” in the news?

Read More About the Hoax Here

The Transition Begins

The Obama family visited with the Bush family today at the White House.

Despite the nation's eagerness for change, the transition period in the White House promises to bring many challenges for the future President Obama. Three officials in Obama's administration will be "left over" from Bush's administering, and will remain in power for the first few years of his administration. These include Ben S. Burke, leader of the Federal Reserve, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller the third.

Read more by the Post

Imagine all the People

Tuesday, November 4, 2008, will forever be remembered.

Heartbroken McCain supporters screamed and booed as McCain conceded to a crowd of supporters in Phoenix, Arizona. “Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country,” said McCain.

Soon after, Obama spoke in Chicago, Illinois. The jubilant crowd burst into spontaneous cries of “Yes we Can!” Never have so many tears of joy been shed in one place.

Yet, despite the overwhelming happiness Obama must have felt, he remained serious and almost stern as he spoke of the future. “Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education. There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair. The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there.”

Obama’s words echo the words spoken by Martin Luther King Junior, on the eve of his assassination. “And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.”

Neither Barack Obama nor Martin Luther King Junior were referring to their own mortality when they spoke those words. They simply meant that the road ahead of us is long, and that we, as a people, have far to go before we can achieve our dreams. It may not happen in our lifetime. It may not happen in the lifetime of our children, or our grandchildren. But it will happen. Things will get better.

A Crowd Celebrates Outside the White House at 3 A.M.

McCain's Speech

Read McCain’s Concession Speech Here

Obama's Speech

Read Obama's Victory Speech Here