Posted on 08/31/2011 6:44:39 PM PDT by maggief
EXCERPT
In agreeing to Boehner's schedule, Obama's address will compete with the opening game of the National Football League season — a conflict the White House wanted to avoid.
(Excerpt) Read more at wral.com ...
FYI ...
FLASHBACK
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/kerry_threatens_nfl_if_patriot.html
With the New England Patriots now one win away from finishing the regular season undefeated, Sen. John Kerry is stepping up his campaign to get the final game broadcast on national television.
The contest Saturday with the New York Giants is to air locally in Boston and New York. But outside those markets it is scheduled to appear only on the NFL Network, a cable channel that reaches just 35 million households nationwide while the league and cable operators dicker over pricing and distribution.
Kerry asked football Commissioner Roger Goodell today to move the game to NBC – and threatened Senate hearings if he does not.
“Under the unfortunate circumstance that this matter remains unresolved, leaving 60 percent of households across the country – including thousands in Massachusetts – without access to Saturday’s game, I will ask the Senate Commerce Committee to hold hearings on how the emergence of premium sports channels are impacting the consumer,” he wrote to Goodell today in a letter released by his office.
The Massachusetts Democrat added that he would “consider what legislative measures may be necessary to ensure that consumers are more than bystanders in this process.”
Kerry, who had offered earlier to convene a meeting between the league and cable operators, is only one of several lawmakers attempting to intervene. Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have threatened to reconsider the league’s federal antitrust exemption if the sides do not come to an agreement.
Time Warner rejected an offer by Goodell last week to submit their differences to an arbitrator.
“As a Bostonian, I couldn’t be more pleased that in just five days, the New England Patriots will attempt to become the first NFL team in 35 years to finish the regular season with an undefeated record,” Kerry wrote. “But as someone who represents all of Massachusetts and not just those in the Boston media market, I remain deeply troubled that today as many as 250,000 Massachusetts households, and millions of Patriots fans nationwide, may be denied access to this historic sporting event. …
“For a game of this significance to be used as a bargaining chip or point of leverage between corporations locked in a dispute would say a great deal about the esteem in which America’s football fans are held by the big interests,” Kerry wrote.
I didn't read all the posts so forgive me if I am being redundant with this thought...
O and Co. knew from the start that they wouldn't get a Republican-controlled House to authorize a joint Congress speech on such short notice and conflicting purposely with the Pubbie debate. By doing so they knew the Pubbies would look unreasonable if they didn't at least approve a joint Congressional speech - that was the goal. Goal Two was to then claim (trust me the leftist echo chamber media will be pushing this within hours from now) that the Pubbies forced Obama to interrupt the big opening night of the NFL - it's not his/their fault. And last - but not least - Goal Three was to therefore draw attention to the Pubbie debate and over the three days in between, again with an echoing liberal media, pound on a choice few statements made at the Pubbie debate and then you use the speech to hammer home the talking points from the previous three days.
It won't work because in the end Obama is in the dumper in regards to his handling of the economy. Even most Democrats have to admit that trying to blank out the long-scheduled Pubbie debate was too blatant to claim innocence. And by once again preempting popular tv events to offer the same solutions in a forum reserved for the most significant speeches he will only give the Pubbies the strongest of ammo. And needless to say his very solutions will not succeed so it will just show him once again to being anything but successful.
Maybe Obama is paying off on a bet he made with Boehner on the golf course a few weeks back.
http://twitter.com/#!/chucktodd
28 minutes ago
Chuck Todd
chucktodd Chuck Todd
Gotten lots of Qs about what time POTUS speech would be Thurs. night 9/8; Am told WH/Boehner working on a time that won’t conflict w/NFL
33 minutes ago
Every station has their sub channels now with HD. For example in Des Moines, put the game on 13.1, put Zerobama on 13.2. Problem solved. If somebody really wants to watch Zero, they can. And NBC and their affiliates can say they showed the presIDent’s speech.
I doubt that most NFL players even bother to vote.
I thought he only bowed to enemy leaders and governors of southern coastal states?
Damn. Feel the love...
I wouldn't be surprised. Congress is just coming back that afternoon, and, for a joint address, each chamber has to do a special resolution as well as their other opening stuff. Stupid of Obozo to pick that date but I don't think this administration has a lot of people who can see from A to B before they act.
What your suggesting would be a stupid, shoot ourselves in the foot, public relations debacle. It would just make the GOP like the unreasonable fanatics Hussein claims they are.
A polite no to the original request date and forcing Obama to move the speech to compete with football was plenty nice enough.
Professor You Lie warned Cantor the other day : “ Don’t call my bluff ! “
Well, I believe that Boehner just called Professor You Lie ‘ s bluff.
Professor You Lie warned Cantor the other day : “ Don’t call my bluff ! “
Well, I believe that Boehner just called Professor You Lie ‘ s bluff.
“Make fun of my tan, Buster...”
Whoops. I screwed up the dates. There’s only only one night difference between the two.
That is much more accurate!
How many times has this speech been delivered now? 15? 20? 100?
“The MSM is essentially signaling their approval of a primary challenger...”
That’s a good way to look at it. Using the word “bows” unmistakenly implies being submissive. With 1 in 4 Dems wanting a challenger, this does sound like a green light by the MSM.
I think he is deserving of more credit than I initially gave him.
Almost poetic, eh? Like a moment from Wizard in Oz... "Are you a good Cheesehead, or..."
Unlike the otherwise delightful demise of Richard (I went to China) (I created the EPA) Nixon, this sorry excuse will pull any stop. Next summer won't hold a candle to '68 in Chicago. Anybody keeping an eye on Hillary?
The whole world is watching! The whole world is watching!
For those who have no idea what I just said: </s>
He doesn't have to, Obama has already rubbed his own nose in it.
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