Whenever a politician speaks, I only believe half of what s/he says . There is so much BS flying around, from both sides, that I always go to Annenberg FactCheck to see what's really true. http://www.factcheck.org/

I don't believe there is a liberal bias in mainstream news - their owners are almost always conservatives and most of what we hear isn't the full story anyway but a series of soundbites.

Most of the news I read comes from Google News, which is a collection of stories with sometimes 100+ sources so I can read both sides. I also watch PBS news (MacNeil/Lehrer)as it's more in depth than what the networks show. I used to watch Fox News but have found their pundits to be neither fair nor balanced but just spouting their opinions, which to me isn't journalism. The sites that I watch and read have proven their worth with reporting both sides of an issue, not just the Democrat or Republican party lines.

I am an Independent and never vote the party ticket but for individuals who I think will do the most for my city, state, and country, whether or not their beliefs coincide with mine. As far as the so-called 'hot-button' issues like abortion and gay marriage; I believe these are distractions from the major issues like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; the coming war with Iran; the sad state of our economy; the widening income gap; a less than stellar education system; and the assaults on the environment.

Of course, these are just my opinions.