"I think they're going to regret doing this and they better hope we don't win." Well, Gee, Sherlock, don't you think they ALREADY hope that?
Posted on 10/13/2004 6:15:08 PM PDT by wagglebee
WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- Chad Clanton, a spokesman for the Kerry campaign appeared on a Fox News program Tuesday and suggested that the Sinclair Broadcasting Group might regret airing a documentary that focuses on the Democratic candidate's antiwar activities. He announced that pro-Kerry activists were organizing to protest the network.
"We've got thousands of people now very mad jackballed up calling these stations, protesting, threatening boycotts of their sponsors," Clanton said.
As reported Tuesday by Talon News, Sinclair is set to air "Stolen Honor," a documentary about John Kerry's protests against the Vietnam War and how his 1971 testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee impacted American soldiers held as prisoners of war by the Viet Cong. The film features several survivors of the prison camps who tell stories of torture and how Kerry's words were used to extract confessions to war crimes from them.
Clanton issued what appeared to be a threat to the network when he told host Linda Vester, "I think they're going to regret doing this and they better hope we don't win."
The spokesman said that he wasn't threatening Sinclair but declined to explain what he meant. The Kerry campaign did not respond to a Talon News request for a clarification of Clanton's remarks.
Mark Hyman, Vice President of Corporate Relations for Sinclair later reacted to Clanton's remarks, saying, "It certainly sounded like a threat. For a campaign official for a presidential campaign to imply they might use something such as the independent regulatory process of the FCC to exact revenge against media organizations that they find to be enemies or not supportive of their cause is just astounding and its something that should cause concern for every media org in the country if this is going to be a precedent for this campaign or any other campaign should they win."
Democrats have filed formal complaints against Sinclair Broadcasting with both the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Election Commission. Michael J. Copps, a Democratic FCC commissioner, issued a statement Tuesday critical of Sinclair's plan to preempt the prime-time schedules of over 60 local stations across the country to air what he called "an overtly political program" in the days prior to the presidential election.
Copps stated, "This is an abuse of the public trust. And it is proof positive of media consolidation run amok when one owner can use the public airwaves to blanket the country with its political ideology -- whether liberal or conservative. Some will undoubtedly question if this is appropriate stewardship of the public airwaves."
He pointed out that Sinclair refused to air Nightline's reading of our war dead in Iraq. Copps also complained that the network "short-shrifts" local communities and local jobs by distance-casting news and weather from hundreds of miles away.
Copps warned, "Sinclair, and the FCC, are taking us down a dangerous road."
The Democratic National Committee sent an e-mail to Kerry activists Tuesday asking them to help to stop "this right-wing attack on John Kerry." The message said that an overwhelming outcry from the public "may be the only way to stop Sinclair from forcing these smears onto the airwaves." The DNC urged supporters to contact Sinclair stations as well as sign an online petition.
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), who signed a letter to the FCC along with 17 other senators asking them to take action to stop airing of the documentary, appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" Tuesday to criticize Sinclair. He said that the network is dedicated to a political agenda instead of the public interest.
Hyman also appeared on GMA and said, "If this issue wasn't raised today we wouldn't be talking about these Vietnam POWs, men who suffered horrific abuse and unspeakable torture for many, many years in captivity. They more than anyone else have earned the right to speak and most of them ended 31 years of silence to reply to comments made by John Kerry."
Hyman continued, "They have a right to be heard and we think this is an issue that's very newsworthy. I just don't understand why John Kerry is running away from these men as he's done for 31 years. Why won't he face these men, some of whom he served with that he has called war criminals and accused of committing atrocities? I think this is an absolutely newsworthy event that he ought to take a few moments out of his day and sit down and talk to these folks and set the record straight."
Durbin responded, admonishing Hyman in the same way Clanton would do later, saying, "This clearly is not in the public interest and I must remind Mr. Hyman, like it or not he has the right to use America's airwaves because the government has licensed him and his company. He doesn't own the airwaves. And for him to decide to use them for one political campaign is, frankly, wrong and violates the FEC rule against corporate contributions to the Bush campaign."
Hyman said that the network has attempted to convince Kerry to appear in the news program in order to provide balance. The campaign has so far declined the invitation.
Durbin dismissed the Sinclair's contention, saying, "The reason they call it news is they said, well, we invited John Kerry to come by so clearly it's balanced. Everybody knows that's preposterous, it's just another example of extremism."
But Hyman suggested major news outlets were shirking their responsibility to report a story that is relevant to the campaign because of political considerations. Over the weekend he told The Washington Post the broadcast networks refused to air "Stolen Honor" unless someone from the Kerry campaign would come on to respond to it.
He said, "What they've effectively done is to give veto power over their editorial decisions to the Kerry campaign."
Talon News first reported on "Stolen Honor" on September 10 following a media screening in Washington, DC. Major networks expressed little interest in the Kerry's controversial antiwar activities 30 years ago, instead remaining focused on President Bush's military service with the Texas Air National Guard.
... thereby increasing national interest in the show by quite a bit...
"I think they're going to regret doing this and they better hope we don't win." Well, Gee, Sherlock, don't you think they ALREADY hope that?
that too but bush is kicking ass on the debates so far
I ordered the DVD, very powerful.
I think you might deserve the credit for this
I picked up on that in a heart-beat. Are the Dems going to shoot the producers, or repeal the First Amendment.
I guess only pornography and leftist propoganda movies are protected from censorship.
I've seen Chad Clanton on Hannity and Colmes and he just strikes terror in my heart. I'm really scared of this guy! What a fearsome character Chad is. (sarcasm/)
Especially when it is both: PORN TO RUN ("The Porn for Kerry DVD" to Pump Up Campaign in Swing States) ^
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