Posted on 02/27/2016 1:57:52 PM PST by dschapin
In his remarks today at a rally in Fort Worth, Tex., Donald Trump knew he’d make news. “I’ve never said this before,” he declared.
We’ll await the word of the Washington Post Fact Checker on the integrity of the statement, but Trump did appear to be veering into a new talking point. A media-law talking point, that is:
One of the things I’m going to do, and this is going to make it tougher for me…but one of the things I’m going to do if I win…is I’m going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money. We’re going to open up those libel laws. So that when the New York Times writes a hit piece, which is a total disgrace, or when the Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because they’re totally protected.
An attack on media law is a logical extension of Trump’s rhetoric, not to mention a threat to American democracy. After all, he has displayed a highly undemocratic annoyance with the idea that the media is independent. For months he has been attempting to get the cameras at his rallies to properly pan around the thronged arenas, the better to capture his out-of-control popularity, even when the camera operators’ job is to stay on him. He has ridiculed reporter after reporter for reporting the facts of Trump’s march through the GOP primaries. Whenever he has been busted out by investigative journalism, he has attacked the institutions that have compiled it.
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(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Newsprint is too coarse for the backside if you have hemmeroids
Yep. Let’s make media accountable for the telling the truth. More to the point, open them to libel laws for deliberately distorting and lying. This needs to go for democrats as well, charge them under libel laws for deliberately lying.
How is lying fundamental to Constitutional free exercise? If you harm someone with fraudulent distortion you are held responsible for the harm you cause. Should the media be exempt from this?
Once again, Trump is correct.
I’m starting to feel the same way about posting on Free Repuplic. Free Republic is going full Megyn Kelly.
June to November is a long time for the media to unload on Trump before he changes the libel laws to favor himself.
Libel is libel.
Example: Just before the Iowa Caucus, it was reported that Carson was leaving the ‘campaign’...false....lie....
Just before the Iowa Caucus, it was reported that someone overheard that Carson is leaving here...true, but did anyone check the facts? No, they went to the first example, the lie, that costs Carson votes...fact
Second example: Rubio said that Trump dad gave him 220 million dollars....false...lie...
Trump's dad loaned him some money to start his own business, (printed in Art of the Deal)....true...fact...
The media, and talking heads and everyone else are beyond thinking that it's ok to lie, it is not...find out the facts before printing a story, or going on talking head shows and telling out and out lies....
Under current law a public figure such as Trump can sue a media outlet if they spread a provably false story with the malicious intent to do harm. So, yes, they could be sued if they ran those stories.
However, Trump threatens to sue anyone who points out his flip flops and his previous positions. I don’t want Courts deciding who is right and who is wrong in political arguments. I don’t think you do either. Protecting our Freedoms should mean more to all of us than protecting this one man.
So the Washington Post-NY Times democrat-party stranglehold monopoly on political thought is going to “lecture us” on the abuse of the First Amendment ...
How? By telling us again how they re-wrote the 2nd Amendment?
How? By telling us how they re-wrote the commerce clause to cover everything?
How? By telling us how they re-wrote the 10th Amendment?
How? By telling us how they use the 1st Amendment to protest and riot, but deny us Freedom of Speech with declarations of political correctness?
“his intent to destroy American democracy”
Sorry, Obama beat him to it.
This was an intimidation tactic by Donald to anyone who prints or says anything about him he doesn't like. Who would dare print anything about him even if it's true if he decides he doesn't like what he's read. Even threatening to sue is an intimidation tactic.
I know the Trumpers don't care about the Constitution but it's reassuring to me that many here still do. And I can't stand the NYT or Washington Post but I hate even more attempts to use the power of the government to intimidate them into silence
I can say it. Disappear them like Pinoche did. Not assassinate, but put them on a boat to N. Korea or some other worker’s paradise.
Trump repeated the same stupidity in Bentonville this morning. Do you really want to give the power to powerful figures and the government to shut up strong criticism?
Makes me sick that Christie signed on to this. Though like Donald, he likes a muscular government.
How DARE this MongolNaziKlingonOrc think that the media should be bound to tell the TRUTH!?!? The bedrock of our nation is allowing the media to say whatever it wants!
But after Trump locks up the nomination and the remaining candidates drop out, within a couple weeks all the posts will quickly turn to Trump is the greatest person on earth, and how could we have ever considered anybody else. I witnessed the exact same thing happen with McCain and Romney, they were useless RINO garbage until they secured the nomination then everybody (well 90%+) of posters suddenly loved them (then the minute they lost the election the went back to being useless RINO garbage).
Personally, I’m sick of the media picking our candidates for us with half-truths and out-right lies. The 4th estate is completely corrupt.
It’s not just about politics. It’s about the private citizen that gets caught in their snare. Many, MANY lies are ruined because of the media in this day and age. Look at the dentist who went lion hunting. Look at the cops who’re smeared before the facts come out and have their careers ruined. Remember how many innocent Americans have had their faces splashed all over prime-time news after a mass shooting when the media gets the wrong guy? How about men who are labeled ‘rapist’ or ‘sex offender’ before there’s even a trial. The victim’s name is protected, but the accused is labeled for life.
There is no more ‘fair and balanced journalism’. The media doesn’t report facts. EVERYTHING is tainted now.
Yes. They should be held responsible for bad reporting. They destroy lives every damn day.
That’s funny. ;-)
Someone wants to make the press accountable?? Finally???
The pearl clutching and smelling salts will be yuuuge.
Oh wait, they already are over at Team UntrusTed.
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