Big Dogs Weblog

Trying to Save One’s Butt

by Blake on Aug 22, 2009 at 09:44 Political

Yea, that is the battle for the First Amendment and the so called “freedom of the press”, which used to be a mainstay of our country. A free and inquisitive press has helped keep government honest in the past, but now the press, or as we should call it now- the media, has become Hussein’s BFF, enabling and abetting Hussein’s criminal behavior with regards to the Constitution. I remember when newspaper reporters would carry a pocket Constitution with them so they could refer to it as a source. Now, they probably look to see what article or amendment they are breaking. In this case, it is the First Amendment.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech; or of the press; or the right of the people to peacefully assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Even I can read this paragraph, this First Amendment, and see that what is being done to talk radio, simply because it is (a)- conservative radio, and (b)- because talk radio is critical of the Resident, with the collusion of the fifth column of the press, the mainstream media, is unconstitutional. If the administration was conservative, you would have the ACLU, and every liberal rag and talking douchebag screaming their heads off about the loss of their rights.

But to be fair to these craven jackals of the left, they are scared that Hussein could turn on them next. At least if they have a brain, they surely should be, because this Resident throws people under the bus almost casually. He is beginning to remind me of Stalin, but in this country he has to start slowly- I understand.

If you can’t beat them, ban them. That’s the new model for CNN, “the most trusted name in news.”

 As Democrats in Washington, D.C. struggle to impose their idea of an ideal health care system on the United States, opposition to their efforts grows. Rather than accept that the substance of reform proposals is the source of the push-back, some on the left and in the media are looking for a “boogeyman” nefariously ginning up taxpayer anger. That “boogeyman” – conservative talk radio.

 Earlier in August, CNN U.S. President Jonathan Klein urged the cable news network’s producers to avoid booking talk radio hosts on CNN news programs. Recent CNN guests have included the likes of conservative talkers Neal Boortz, Steve Malzberg and Martha Zoeller. By banning talk radio hosts, the network made off limits the one area of media where conservatives hold sway.

businessandmedia.org

In an obvious effort to be as obsequious as possible, CNN decided to cave in to pressure, proving that they too can live without a backbone. Are they going to book the one remaining liberal talk radio host- I know there aren’t many of them, because liberal talk radio doesn’t pay. Why is that, you might ask? Simply put- they have nothing anyone wants to hear.

And CNN hasn’t been alone. Its competitor MSNBC, which has been decidedly more in favor of President Barack Obama’s policies, has also participated in the “Hush Rush” movement, accusing conservative talkers Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck of propagating “hate” to hinder Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress.

 It’s not just executives and opinion pundits who have expressed their “concerns” over talk radio’s contributions to the health care debate. Ed Henry, CNN senior White House correspondent, called some of the criticism coming from talk radio “outlandish” on “CNN Newsroom” Aug. 14.

 “It took this White House kind of a long time to respond to some of the outlandish allegations,” Henry said. “And so what happened is some of the opponents of reform through talk radio, other media, online, have really been pushing some of these lines of attack. They went unanswered for some time. That’s what we are seeing here. The president realizing he has to step it up a little bit as he continues to make this sales pitch. But let’s remember, it’s still an uphill battle. This is at a critical juncture in his administration.”

businessandmedia.org

Apparently allegations are outlandish if they are directed at the Resident’ proposed socialistic policy, but if they are designed to suppress the voice of the people, well, the MSM is just fine with that.

Step it up a little? Bring it on Hussein- the backlash, when it comes, will be severe- even the MSM has to have a little tingle as the hairs on the back of their necks begin to rise. Yes, MSM,they will come for you too.

Some of the circumstances surrounding this health care debate are eerily familiar. The last big policy issue that was defeated when an upset constituency pushed back was the bipartisan 2007 effort to reform immigration. However, it was thwarted when people flooded the switchboards on Capitol Hill. Some pointed at the power of talk radio to command action from voters, suggesting it was time to look at the Fairness Doctrine again.

 “I remember when there was a Fairness Doctrine,” Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., said after the immigration debate, accusing the format of “dramatizing” and “taking things out of context on Fox News Sunday on June 24, 2007. “And I think there was much more serious correct reporting to people.”

 More recently, another voice in Washington, D.C. has come out voicing concerns about conservative talk radio’s position in the current media marketplace. Left-wing Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., went on MSNBC’s Aug. 14 “Rachel Maddow” show – as liberal a forum as could be – and complained that the media outlets on the right were drowning the message out.

 “I’ll tell you what else we need to do,” Sanders said. “We need to understand that it is very, very hard for the president or anybody else to take on not just the Republican Party, that’s the easy part – to take on all of right-wing talk radio, which covers 90 percent of talk show hosts, a whole Fox network which is nothing more than an arm of the Republican Party and the Democrats got to think long term. Why is there not a progressive television network?  Why aren’t we supporting good and effective personalities on radio as well and building up a network there so that we can (have) that kind of political consciousness-raising that the Republicans, in fact, are doing so well right now.”

businessandmedia.org

Ah, the “Fairness Doctrine”- can you smell the suppression? I can- listen, all you bleeding heart liberals, despite the crying Bernie Sanders is doing about, of all things, a Progressive television network (he doesn’t think MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, AND NBC is enough?), if anyone was interested in your whining, liberal talk radio would be a paying proposition. Instead, you have to have government- subsidized NPR, and Public TV, and that’s about it- because invertebrate whining drives the average American up the wall, and makes us want to set out traps to catch the vermin and stop that irritating sound.

So, now, the Resident, through his minions, will seek to suppress the freedom of talk radio- then he will go to the conservative news organization- there is only one now– FOX News- and then, Chavez- like, he will seek to control every media, which will mean that bloggers like myself will be “looked at”. Yes, the Internet will be next.

Plumbers know one thing- stuff flows downhill, and in this case, it is flowing from the mouths of the administration and his minions in the MSM.

They know not what they do.

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Tags: freedom of speech, Obama, stalinist tactics, suppression, unconstitutional behavior