Obama open to newspaper bailout bill

thehill.com/blogs ^ | 09/20/09 | Michael O'Brien

[NoRedTape]

Obama open to newspaper bailout bill

The president said he is "happy to look at" bills before Congress that would give struggling news organizations tax breaks if they were to restructure as nonprofit businesses.

"I haven't seen detailed proposals yet, but I'll be happy to look at them," Obama told the editors of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade in an interview.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has introduced S. 673, the so-called "Newspaper Revitalization Act," that would give outlets tax deals if they were to restructure as 501(c)(3) corporations. That bill has so far attracted one cosponsor, Cardin's Maryland colleague Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D).

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had played down the possibility of government assistance for news organizations, which have been hit by an economic downturn and dwindling ad revenue........

[NoRedTape]

Saay whaaat?

[NoRedTape]

Hey Gibbers, there's a reason lib news has had a downturn. think about it.

Lib doesn't SELL anymore........get it??????

[swheats]

The old “Revitalization” trick. Change, rebuild and takeover.

[freekitty]

So far he hasn’t met a bailout he doesn’t like. /snort

[NoRedTape]

“Newspaper Revitalization Act” AKA “New Lib Spin for Clunkers”

[giotto]

I think this is a wonderful idea. Nationalize the media. At that point, we can proceed with lawsuit after lawsuit against the officially State Run Media. Taxpayer funded means equal protection under the law. Bring it on.

[Hildy]

Let ‘em try...You think there were alot of people in Washington last week? Just let ‘em do something like this..

[boatbums]

Ummm...could it possibly, maybe, likely be BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT RELEVANT anymore??? Who wants one-sided “reporting”? I only get the paper ‘cause my Mom likes the puzzles and coupons. When my subscription expires - I am not renewing. I’ll buy her puzzle books!

[Uncle Miltie]

This is satire. Right? Right?

[hedgetrimmer]

None of these things are ‘bailouts’. They are the government taking control of industrial sectors.

The government will ‘own’ the media and the descent into tyranny appears unstoppable.

[HiTech RedNeck]

This is where the GOP (and all blue dogs) needs to be the party of HELL no.

[swheats]

FCC czar and his belief system is the reason this act would not be good for America.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/seton-motley/2009/08/28/video-fcc-diversity-czar-chavezs-venezuela-incredible-democratic-revol

This guy gets it:

http://www.breitbart.tv/espns-stephen-a-smith-tells-mark-levin-why-hes-alarmed-by-obamas-direction/

[Windflier]

"...news organizations, which have been hit by an economic downturn and dwindling ad revenue...."

Of their own making.

Frikken liars lying for liars. If they haven't figured out why their numbers are falling off a cliff, then they deserve to go out of business without a taxpayer bail-out.

[AndyTheBear]

...that would give struggling news organizations tax breaks if they were to restructure as nonprofit businesses.

Does someone know what taxes other than that on profit that news businesses pay?

[Windflier]

I think this is a wonderful idea. Nationalize the media. At that point, we can proceed with lawsuit after lawsuit against the officially State Run Media. Taxpayer funded means equal protection under the law.

So, why hasn't anyone sued NPR and PBS for their obvious left-wing bias? They're taxpayer supported (even though PBS runs a dang fundraiser every other week, it seems).

[jackieh]

Are you fricken kidding me!!!!!!! WTF!

[truthguy]

Unbelievable! Newspapers are going out of business because no one wants to read the rubbish they print. They are behind on every significant story. I live in the SF Bay area and neither the SF Chronicle or SJ Mercury News carried the Acorn stories. What a joke.

No if American Newspapers went out of business, no one would notice. If the New York Times folded, it would be the best thing that ever happened to to Country.

[bruinbirdman]

"Does someone know what taxes other than that on profit that news businesses pay?"

Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, disabled worker, property, etc.

yitbos

[Dapper 26]

Keep paving that road to the 2010 elections!

[SpaceBar]

Obama wants to do for others what they have done for him all his life, subsidize failure.

[DakotaRed]

What’s he going to do, fine us if we refuse to buy the papers, like he will if we don’t buy health insurance?

[Wuli]

Oh, they get to SELL advertising and charge prices to buy or subscribe to their rags and then call themselves “NON-PROFIT”.

If the dinosaur media could do it, then why not IBM, Intel, HP, etc., etc.

[Rummyfan]

Outrageous. We already have NPR and publicly-funded television, now we are going to have hundreds of Pravdas across the nation?

[giotto]

So, why hasn't anyone sued NPR and PBS for their obvious left-wing bias?

Probably because no one listens to them.

[Joe Boucher]

Yeah, more bailouts for ozero’s socialist buddies.
What ever happened to the free ennterprise system, of that’s right, this a hole is a marxist and he needs his propaganda tool.

[Nosterrex]

We knew this was going to happen. The only hope the socialists have is from the MSM. They are already part of the government.

[depressed in 06]

Make them gubermint employees and end all doubt.

[Little Ray]

Neah. Make ‘em Democrat Party operatives and remove all doubt.

[mewzilla]

The president said he is "happy to look at" bills before Congress that would give struggling news organizations tax breaks if they were to restructure as nonprofit businesses.

Snort. They're non-profits now.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I think this is a wonderful idea. Nationalize the media. At that point, we can proceed with lawsuit after lawsuit against the officially State Run Media.

Challenge newspapers in court for environmental impact reports!

Killing millions of trees every year hasn't upset the Sierra Club yet?

[Taggart_D]

"I am concerned that if the direction of the news is all blogosphere, all opinions, with no serious fact-checking, no serious attempts to put stories in context, that what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding," he said.

In other words its the media's fault that all you Tea Party Protestors are so upset.

Word to Obama: We understand you perfectly...that is why we protest!

[ladyjane]

Jeepers creepers! And I thought NPR was bad enough! These guys are out of control.

[Ann Archy]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH......what a MAROON!! A NEWSPAPER BAILOUT! Even the BRAIN DEAD DEMOCRATS won’t like this.

[Arrowhead1952]

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had played down the possibility of government assistance for news organizations, which have been hit by an economic downturn and dwindling ad revenue........

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had played down the possibility of government assistance for news organizations State Run Media, which have been hit by an economic downturn and dwindling ad revenue due to lack of subscriptions because of their left leaning articles........

That is what Gibbs should have said in his briefing.

[myknowledge]

And make sure it goes bankrupt from all that corporate spin and lies.

[steve0]

From that four letter worded news site: “Obama wants to talk about a newspaper bailout bill. Also a telegraph bailout, oil lamp bailout, Pony Express bailout, vinyl LP and 8-track tape bailout, ZIP drive bailout and coal-fired locomotive bailout”
typewriters, Polaroid film producers,(do you have any more to add?)

[Lazamataz]

Если Америка должна быть Коммунистической, позвольте нам все объятие газеты управляемые государством! Тогда только ПРАВИТЕЛЬСТВЕННАЯ ПРАВДА будет разрешаться! Это - время для нас, чтобы тщательно решить то, что считают 'правдой'.

[MHGinTN]

И Lazamataz будет сделано царем газеты на всю жизнь

[madison10]

Nothing better than paying off those who helped get him elected. This will mostly be paying for papers hardly anyone reads with TAX dollars.

[boatbums]

,(do you have any more to add?)

How about: telephone switchboard operators; home milk, ice and egg delivery; analog T.V. makers; COBOL computer programmers; 1200 baud modem producers - we'll think of more.;O)

[Munz]

he’s gonna control the newspaper business now ..

All propaganda all the time ...

[NoRedTape]

Obama wants the NEWSPAPERS; HE WANTS ACORN AND THE INTERNET. It’s all about control. Too bad, none of those items are full controlable.........except ACORN. But, too bad......their out of business now. Boo-A-Hoo.

[NoRedTape]

They’re out of business........ACORN is out of it. The charade is over.