The Summoning of Mara Liasson

Powerline ^ | December 7, 2009 | Powerline

[libstripper]

Mara Liasson is National Public Radio's top political correspondent. She also helps hold down the left flank on panels where she appears as a FOX News contributor such as Special Report with Bret Baier. Josh Gerstein reports that NPR management has asked Liasson to reconsider her appearances on Fox News because of what they perceive -- in accord with the teaching of the Obama administration -- as the network's political bias:

[Deb]

They did the same thing to Juan Williams. When he refused they asked that he take out any mention of his affiliation with NPR in his appearance intros. He wouldn’t do that either.

[highlander_UW]

There is a simple solution...defund NPR. There are plenty of outlets for just about any viewpoint these days between TV, print, radio and Internet outlets. Not all are equally heard given that liberals have a strong hold over the majority of TV and print outlets, but for anyone who is willing to make a modicum of effort one can find just about any viewpoint one wishes to hear.

[Steely Tom]

Hey, we’ve all got our problems.

[llevrok]

so the libs diminish the likes of Mara and Juan. They they can say "SEE! I told you Fox was one sided!!"

Devious, they are.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

lol

[BallyBill]

I’m 50+ yrs old and saw “A Clockwork Orange” for the first time last week, this sounds like poor Mara is going to have her eyes opened up a bit by the NPR folks.

[Dr. Ursus]

I wonder if they picked her up in a black maria?

[Huskrrrr]

Of course NPR’s Jackie Judd was completely unbiased when she brought Anita Hill to the Clarence Thomas hearings. Then there is Daniel Schorr, the liberal icon of "balanced" commentary. And Bill "the Red" Moyers, the list goes on and on....

[Aria]

I listened to Jazz yesterday on NPR and heard the most biased news break. Fairly shocking...about Republican delaying tactics re health care.

[Mad Dawgg]

"I’m 50+ yrs old and saw “A Clockwork Orange” for the first time last week, this sounds like poor Mara is going to have her eyes opened up a bit by the NPR folks."

When a Clockwork Orange came out it was said to be "over the top" with violence and sex.

Now there are weekly TV shows so far "over the top" that they make Clockwork Orange seem no worse then an episode of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

[techno]

I have watched Mara on Fox News Sunday for years. She is always treated with respect by the other guests and she is always given the opportunity by Chris Wallace to say her piece.

That is what I call fair and balanced.

[Steve_Seattle]

You have to wonder if there was any White House involvement in this. The WH has shown itself to be obsessed by Fox, and it would not surprise me if a WH phone call was made to NPR execs explaining that allowing their folks on Fox was hurting the admin and could they please do something about it. It wouldn’t be as crass as a hint of loss of funding, but just a suggestion to a friend, couched in terms of “fairness.”

[Petronski]

Of course NPR’s Jackie Judd was completely unbiased when she brought Anita Hill to the Clarence Thomas hearings.

For all of Judd's faults, she should not be blamed for the handiwork of Nina Totenberg.

[CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC]

Didn't the liberal half of "Hannity & Colmes" get hounded by liberals who thought he was personally inadequate when sparring with Hannity? It was obvious to me what the biggest reason was that he virtually always came in second best: It was because he was defending Liberal talking points. Duh!

But liberals saw it differently: They believed that when a liberal loses a fair fight, it just couldn't possibly be due to deficiencies in PC thought. Heaven's no! It must be due to deficiencies in the speaker, because there is no such thing as defects in the liberal way of thinking (I use the word "thinking" loosely here).

I long wondered if that hounding by his fellow liberals is the reason for him leaving the show. I also wondered if FNC, before the announcement of his leaving was made public, tried to find some liberal to replace him on the show, but nobody wanted the job?

[PubliusMM]

There is NO Constitutional authority for public funding to broadcast media. Defund NPR.
As for Mara...it seems to me that the libs would want to encourage a thoughtful, intelligent, rational agent on their behalf to be present on any ‘conservative’ broadcast. Might help to win some converts...(/sarc)

[Buckeye McFrog]

That’s why they will never get a dime from me during any of their pledge drives. I’m for the First Amendment, and do not begrudge their right to air liberal programming, pacifist programming, gay-themed programming, etc. But if I walked in there and asked for a Conservative show they’d give me the bum’s rush quicker than you could say Woebegone, Minnesota. They are taking plenty of my tax dollars and there is absolutely no place for me on their station.

[kjo]

I stopped giving money to NPR years ago...when they changed from a classical music format to All Talk...All Liberal Things Considered and other programs are nothing more than shills for the Obama socialist agenda.

Listen to their newbreaks at the top of any hour...every, single “story” fits some part of the leftwing agenda.

World To End At Midnight...Women and Minorities Most Affected.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Josh Gerstein reports that NPR management has asked Liasson to reconsider her appearances on Fox News because of what they perceive -- in accord with the teaching of the Obama administration -- as the network's political bias

And yet NPR management can't perceive the political bias of their own network.

[gigster]

I’m always waiting for her eyes to pop out everytime she’s on.