There is a proverb that states, “As long as the hunter is telling the story, the lion will never win.” This observation proves true when one considers the 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar, a revisionist history of the Civil Rights Movement. This government publication is another example of taxpayers’ money funding conservative propaganda. But one still can’t help but be shocked by the claims made in this latest pandering production.

One “fact” of interest is the labeling of Jackie Robinson as a Republican. However, Robinson’s political alliances were not clearly defined. After campaigning for Democrat Hubert Humphrey in the presidential primary, Robinson voted for Nixon in the 1960 general election but declared that “he voted not for the party but for the candidate.” However, his “fears disappeared with the news of Kennedy’s public objections to the persecution of Martin Luther King,” and Robinson went on to support the Democratic administration of John F. Kennedy. Additionally, in 1964 and 1968, he supported the Democratic Party candidates for president.

From his writings and letters, available through the Library of Congress, it is clear that labeling Robinson a Republican is inaccurate. But as long as the hunter is telling the story…

The big spenders behind President Bush’s inauguration festivities have taken a major PR hit in recent days. We thought it only fair to present their side of the debate.

Take Mercer Reynolds, co-chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee and President Bush’s so-called “fundraiser-in-chief.” Mercer can’t understand all the griping about special interest cash being showered on the Bush administration. “It’s such a broad-based group of corporations that are giving,” Reynolds explains, “I just don’t think anyone could tie in giving to the inaugural with access to the presidency.” So really, more corporate money really just means higher ethical standards.

Ed Lewis, a spokesman for Ford Motor Co., takes a different stance. Ford donated $250,000 for the inauguration, and Ed plainly admits the automaker has “a number of interests in Congress and the Bush administration.” Still, he can’t help but laugh at the idea that the money is paying for access to the president — as if he needed it! “We get our phone calls returned,” Lewis gloats. “That’s not a big issue for us.”

Then there’s D.C. lobbyist David Girard-diCarlo, who personally threw down $50,000 on top of the $200,000 his firm contributed. Speaking to the New York Times, Girard-diCarlo admitted the sad truth: “If you are playing in a sport, you’ve got to play in the sport.” And Girard-diCarlo clearly knows how to play the sport — sometimes he even plays in his pajamas. After the Homeland Security Dept. was created in 2002, Girard-diCarlo invited Secretary Tom Ridge over for two slumber parties at his Arizona estate, then hired Ridge’s aides to lobby the department on behalf of his clients.

“Listen, I want to thank all the entertainers who were here today. How about Hilary Duff. She was fantastic. Thank you, Hilary. JoJo — JoJo is here — yeah. Rubin Studdard — you talk about a success story. Ryan Cabrera, I appreciate Ryan being here. How about Three Doors Down? Pretty cool guys, right? Seem cool to me.” — President Bush, 1/18/05

“Five car bomb blasts rocked Baghdad today as suicide bombers hit targets that included the Australian Embassy, the latest attacks in an intensified campaign of violence…. The American military reported that 26 people were killed and at least 21 were wounded.” — New York Times, 1/19/05