Stanley Kurtz's Fairness Doctrine Preview (Obama's Stormtrooper Tactics at WGN)

NRO ^ | 8/28/2008 | Guy Benson

[mojito]

Stanley Kurtz's appearance on the Milt Rosenberg radio program in Chicago last night provided an unsettling look into the authoritarian tactics being employed by the Obama campaign to stifle and intimidate its critics. I happened to be in the WGN studios for the entire affair because my friend, Zack Christenson, produces the show in question. He was aware of my previous reporting on the Obama-Ayers connection and kindly invited me to sit in on the two-hour interview. (For full disclosure, I work for two other radio stations in Chicago, WIND, and WYLL).

As I arrived at the downtown Chicago studios a few hours before show time, the phones began ringing off the hook with irate callers demanding Kurtz be axed from the program. It didn't take long to discover that the Obama campaign—which had declined invitations to join the show for its duration to offer rebuttals to Kurtz's points—had sent an "Obama Action Wire" e-mail to its supporters, encouraging them to deluge the station with complaints.

Why? Because, naturally, Kurtz is a "right-wing hatchet man," a "smear merchant" and a "slimy character assassin" who is perpetrating one of the "most cynical and offensive smears ever launched against Barack."

Evidently, much of Obama nation is composed of obedient and persistent sheep. They jammed all five studio lines for nearly the entire show while firing off dozens of angry emails. Many vowed to kick their grievances up the food chain to station management. After 90 minutes of alleged smear peddling, Milt Rosenberg (a well-respected host whose long-form interview show has aired in Chicago for decades) opened the phone lines, and blind ignorance soon began to crackle across the AM airwaves. The overwhelming message was clear: The interview must be put to an end immediately, and the station management should prevent similar discussions from taking place.

One female caller, when pressed about what precisely she objected to, simply replied, "We just want it to stop!" Another angry caller was asked what "lies" Kurtz had told in any of his reporting on Barack Obama. The thoughtful response? "Everything he said is dishonest." The same caller later refused to get into "specifics." Another gentleman called Kurtz "the most un-American person" he'd ever heard. Several of the callers did not even know Stanley's name, most had obviously never read a sentence of his meticulous research, and more than simply read verbatim from the Obama talking points.

As Rosenberg repeatedly pointed out that Team Obama had been offered the opportunity to take part in the conversation, the agitated masses adapted their argument to suggest it was outrageous to request an interview from the Obama campaign in the thick of the DNC. Delivering the line of the night, Rosenberg countered, "The Obama national headquarters is just down the street from here. They obviously have the time to send out these angry emails, but they can't walk a few blocks to our studios?"

Throughout the open-line segments, Rosenberg and Kurtz wore incredulous expressions. The hostile callers were so bereft of any legitimate argument, there was little to do but sit back and marvel at what was going on.

The experience was surreal, amusing, and chilling. In a matter of hours, a major national campaign had called on its legions to bully a radio show out of airing an interview with a legitimate scholar asking legitimate political questions. Coupled with the Obama campaign's recent attempts to sic the DOJ on the creators of a truthful political advertisement —which also happened to feature Obama's relationship with an unrepentant terrorist— last night's call to action represents an emerging pattern. Any criticism of Obama's unknown past is to be immediately denounced as a "smear," and the messenger is to be shut down at all costs.

Stanley Kurtz is poring through mounds of documents (access to which was initially blocked) in a public university's library that (a) establish a deeper link between a major party presidential nominee and a man who is proud of bombing US government buildings, and (b) shed light on said candidate's brief, unexplored executive experience. It's entirely understandable why the Obama campaign would prefer that the files remain out of the public eye until at least November 5, but Kurtz's careful research is completely within the bounds of reasonable inquiry. One might even argue it's vital that a man who may be the next leader of the free world be thoroughly vetted.

Team Obama is fast becoming the campaign that cried "smear." They labeled the National Right to Life committee "liars" for providing evidence of some unpleasant facts about their candidate's record on a series of infanticide votes. This tendency to lash out and engage in baseless name-calling not only smacks of desperation; it also may foreshadow an Obama presidency's strategy in handling unfavorable media reports and sources.

If anyone still believes reinstating the Fairness Doctrine isn't a top priority for the American Left, last night's example offered a stark and alarming wake-up call. Still not convinced? For goodness sake, read Jonah's book.

[JOHN W K]

Washington Times reports Obama’s attack against WGN and political speech

Great News! The Washington Times reports on Obama’s attempt to silence political speech being aired on WGN! See: First Amendment targeted

Mark Hyman

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

__________________

"When the heavy hand of the state is imposed on the press, all of us lose," Barack Obama told a group of Kenyan journalists during an August 2006 trip to Africa.

Snip……..

Mr. Obama's remarks implied he supports the First Amendment. His comment that "Democracy can't function properly without a free press," suggested he understood the importance of robust scrutiny of elected officials. Yet, when given the opportunity, Mr. Obama's recent actions have contradicted his own statements.

Snip…..

Another Obama target is Chicago radio station WGN. The source of Mr. Obama's ire is talk-show host Stanley Kurtz who is no Friend of Barry. The Obama campaign has urged supporters to attack WGN for permitting Mr. Kurtz to practice his profession.

________________

NOTE: Milt Rosenberg was the host and Kurtz the guest.

Give your support to the Washington Times and Fox News for pointing a just finger at Obama’s attempt to silence political speech.

It’s sad to say that our establishment big media [NBC, CBS, ABC CNN, MSNBC , The New York Times, The Washington Post, etc., ] have ignored this story, which ought to be front page news across the nation as it exposes the real Barack the-silencer-of-political-speech Obama,

JWK

Hey Joey tight-lipped Biden, how do you feel about your running mate trying to shut down a talk radio show? Do you approve of Obama’s un-American strong arm tactics?

[mojito]

Thanks for these updates.

Steve Diamond has had several important blog updates on Annenberg-Gate at his website. Please scroll down to catch all of them.

http://globallabor.blogspot.com/

[JOHN W K]

Wall Street Journal reports Obama`s attack against WGN

If anyone thinks that Obama’s attempt to shut down a radio talk show is insignificant and not a story which ought to be front page news, they may want to read JOHN FUND’S article in the Wall Street Journal:

Obama Should Come Clean On Ayers, Rezko And the Iraqi Billionaire

August 30, 2008; Page A11

________

"Team Obama has launched an offensive against WGN, the Chicago Tribune's radio station, for interviewing Stanley Kurtz. Mr. Kurtz is a conservative writer who this week forced the University of Illinois to finally open its records on Sen. Obama's association with William Ayers, the unrepentant 1970s Weather Underground terrorist.

An Obama campaign email to supporters called Mr. Kurtz a "slimy character assassin" whose "divisive, destructive ranting" should be confronted. WGN producer Zack Christenson says the outpouring of negative calls and emails is "unprecedented." He also notes that it is curious -- because "we wanted the Obama campaign's take" on Mr. Kurtz's findings, but the campaign declined to put anyone on air."

_________

It’s sad to say that our establishment big media [NBC, CBS, ABC CNN, MSNBC , The New York Times, The Washington Post, etc., ] have ignored this story, which ought to be front page news across the nation as it exposes the real Barack the-silencer-of-political-speech Obama.

Keep in mind if it wasn’t for the internet we would not be having this discussion of how and where Obama launched his political career [the house of Billiy-the-bomb-maker Ayers], and the whole discussion concerning Obama’s past would be carefully controlled and manipulated by the establishment media

Hopefully Fox News, perhaps Sean Hannity or Bill O’Reilly will do a show on Obama’s attack against WGN, intended to prevent WGN and Milt Rosenberg, the station’s host, from having Dr. Kurtz on as a guest who has been writing on Obama’s history in Chicago politics and his association with Billy the-bomb-maker Ayers.

Do we really want a person elected to be the President of the United States who is willing to use available resources to shut down the free exercise of political speech?

JWK

Hey Joey tight-lips Biden, how do you feel about your running mate trying to shut down a talk radio show? Do you approve of Obama’s un-American strong arm tactics?