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They're after talk radio...This is just a warning shot
Nealz Nuz and The Neal Boortz Show ^ | 2002-11-21 | Neil Boortz

Posted on 11/21/2002 5:51:06 AM PST by Nogbad

THEY’RE AFTER TALK RADIO … THIS IS JUST A WARNING SHOT 

Tom Daschle started slamming talk radio yesterday, especially The Godfather, and nobody out there seemed to understand just what was going on. 

Daschle knows that talk radio in America is.  I’ll admit that I haven’t seen the numbers, but I would guess that more people in this country listen to talk radio on a daily basis than watch any of the network newscasts.  This, of course, doesn’t make Democrats or liberals happy. Liberals, you see, cannot survive in talk radio.  You simply can’t sit behind a microphone for hours a day spouting a plunder-based philosophy completely lacking in logic and truth without becoming a totally discredited laughing stock. 

Now … here are some of the things that Daschle had to say about talk radio yesterday.  First, he said that Democrats need to find an equivalent to the conservative talk radio that the GOP uses to push its ideas.  “If we’re going to break through as Democrats we have to have the same edge as Republicans do.”

That edge?  Talk radio.  And just how do Democrats go about getting that edge?  We’ll get to that in a minute.

Daschle then said, “What happens when Rush Limbaugh attacks those of us in public life is that people aren’t satisfied just to listen, they want to act. They get emotionally invested.  And so the threats to those of us in public life go up dramatically.”

So … let’s review.  Conservative talk radio represents a threat to politicians and their families.  In fact, the threat of talk radio can be compared to that of Islamic fundamentalists!  And, in view of all this, the Democrats simply must have the same edge as Republicans do in the talk radio arena.

Secondly, Talk radio, as presently constituted, represents a threat to the safety of politicians.  How much of a threat?  Well, maybe a good way to put that point across would be to figure out a way to connect talk radio with terrorism.  Daschle tried to do just that when he said “We see it in foreign countries and we think well my God, how can this religious fundamentalism become so violent.  Well it’s that same shrill rhetoric, that same shrill power that motivates.   Pretty soon it’s a foment that becomes physical in addition to just verbal.  And that’s happening in this country.”

As I said, nobody seems to get it.  The panel on Special Report with Brit Hume certainly didn’t.  So, let me tell you what’s going on here.

The Democrats have just been blown out in another election.  Today, just as in 1994, they are blaming their poor showing on the Americans who were motivated by talk radio.  Without that talk radio edge conservatives would simply be unable to keep the liberal Democrats at bay.

Remember, now, that Democrats truly believe that they rule by divine right.  It is they who believe in big government, not the Republicans, and since the Republicans don’t really believe in government it should be the Democrats who are running the show.   That’s the way it ought to be, and if its not that way, something is terribly wrong.  Anything that interferes with the Divine Right of Democrats to rule must be dealt with, firmly and permanently.

Democrats know that they can’t aspire to the same level of national influence in talk radio that is enjoyed by Republicans like Limbaugh and Hannity and libertarians like Larry Elder and that bald guy from Atlanta.  So – the only way they can enjoy the same “edge,” as Daschle put it, is to bring talk radio down to a level that Democrats would deem to be equitable.  How do you do this?  Two ways; both, of course, involving the police power of government.

First --- a return of the so-called “Fairness Doctrine.”  This is a regulation that requires broadcast stations to present equal time to proponents of both sides of a political issue.  They wouldn’t force this requirement on newspapers or magazines, but broadcasting is fair game. The implementation of this doctrine would mean that every station that carries fifteen hours of Limbaugh a week would have to find some bed wetter to carry forth for an equivalent 15 hours.  The problem here is that if such a creature existed --- if there was a liberal that listeners could enjoy, let alone stomach, for 15 hours a week without burning their radios, that liberal would already be on the air!   The solution?  Under the Fairness Doctrine the stations would just have to either get rid of Limbaugh or watch listeners go away --- and that would be just fine with the left.

The sad reality, for Democrats, is while the Republicans are in control of the congress there is going to be no resurrection of the Fairness Doctrine.  This means that the Democrats are going to have to come up with another plan to stifle Limbaugh et al.  Well, that plan is already formulated, and the tool is in place.  That tool is the Campaign Finance Reform Act (CFRI).  What you heard Daschle doing yesterday was him setting the stage for an attempt in the courts, using the campaign finance reform act, to shut down talk radio before the next presidential election.

Here’s what the Democrats will do.  The CFRI has a provision in it that outlaws the use of soft money to run radio and television ads for any particular candidate or political party during the last 60 days leading up to Election Day.  The Democrats will claim that the Rush Limbaugh Show, and other shows like his, are nothing less than paid political advertisements for the Republican Party or for a specific Republican candidate or issue, paid for by the businesses and corporations who advertise on these shows.  The Democrats will ask the courts to rule that these evil talk show hosts are subject to the terms of the CFRI and that the hosts should not be permitted to express their opinions or preferences for or against any particular candidates or parties in the last two months before we head to the polls. 

Remember, Democrats love government.  Democrats believe that America is great because of government.  Democrats will be all-to-willing to use that government to quiet their radio critics in the crucial days leading to the next election.  Free speech?  Don’t give them that free speech nonsense.  They’ll throw “fairness” right back in your face, and to a Democrat is just isn’t fair that so many people seem to be interested in what conservatives and libertarians have to say, and so few are interested in listening to leftist blathering. 

Boy .. do I have one huge “I told you so” coming in about 14 months.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: democrats; freespeech; talkradio
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To: SerpentDove
Al Gore-Sore Loser
Tom Daschle-Sore Loser

Does anyone in the "Donner Party" have any class?

God bless Mitch McConnell, he'll have that CFR declared unconstitutional in no time.

Remember New Jersey-VOTE REPUBLICAN!
41 posted on 11/21/2002 7:33:43 AM PST by Ronaldus Magnus Reagan
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To: Nogbad
Legally and politically, the Dems can't lay a glove on talk radio unless they control all three branches of government. And remember, taking control of the judicial branch takes a generation or more, not just a couple of election cycles.

The only thing Daschle and his minions can do is draw attention to talk radio and maybe help it pull in a few million more listeners. Sometimes when you make a big enough fuss people want to find out for themselves what all the fuss is about.
42 posted on 11/21/2002 7:34:09 AM PST by SBprone
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To: Tuscaloosa Goldfinch
I thought Hannity showed enormous patience with that jerk. I wanted to punch my radio. Nothing aggravates me more than a telephone tough guy. Hannity did make me laugh when he said he was letting the guy go on for educational purposes.

Rush doesn't need to be patient, he' the king.LOL
43 posted on 11/21/2002 7:38:01 AM PST by conservativemusician
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To: jimt
To say that dems believe in big government ot repubs believe in big government is splitting hairs.

Politicians believe in big government.

Politics is their game and government is their forum.

The bigger the government, the more important they feel.

Don't expect any politician to seriously want to reduce the size of fovernment.


44 posted on 11/21/2002 7:42:41 AM PST by philetus
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To: jimt
With statements like that it won't be long before the GOP Kookl Aide crowd will arrived. Beware!
45 posted on 11/21/2002 7:47:47 AM PST by ImpBill
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To: conservativemusician
I know! When they guy hung up and Sean just laughed, I thought, how can he do that, just laugh it off? I would have said, "okay, folks, we're going to take a break so I can cool off."
46 posted on 11/21/2002 7:50:09 AM PST by Tuscaloosa Goldfinch
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To: Media Insurgent
Maybe I'm giving the American people too much credit, but I believe that if any political party tried to use CFR to shut down talk shows they don't like, it would be absolute political suicide.

They might not be able to use CFR to shut down Rush, but what about the same tactic used against FreeRepublic?

47 posted on 11/21/2002 8:01:13 AM PST by SauronOfMordor
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To: AppyPappy
Amen! My wife listens to NPR but I can't stand it. She really can't hear the bias in everything they do. Their orientation is quite evident in their sponsers, Carnegie, Pew, etc... These are barely concealed fronts for global collectivists. (Tin foil alert). That, of course is just my opinion.
48 posted on 11/21/2002 8:05:54 AM PST by dljordan
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To: glc1173@aol.com; All
WOO-HOO - I just got through to Boortz with the idea of using the sound bite in #29.
49 posted on 11/21/2002 8:29:55 AM PST by FreedomPoster
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To: Nogbad
I think Boortz has nailed what is really going on. Daschle's tirade was no accident or off-the-cuff remark.
50 posted on 11/21/2002 8:31:18 AM PST by Gritty
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To: SerpentDove
Get control of yourself. Just what are you trying to say?
51 posted on 11/21/2002 8:31:29 AM PST by anoldafvet
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To: SauronOfMordor
"They might not be able to use CFR to shut down Rush, but what about the same tactic used against FreeRepublic?"

I don't see it happening. If they tried it, they would run into similar opposition. There are a lot of people out there who are not friendly to the conservative cause who are nonetheless absolutists when it comes to free speech on the internet. They'd get up in arms about almost any web site getting targeted by Big Brother. People who don't give a lick about politics would get energized about a government crackdown on the internet. After all, it might threaten their access to porn!
52 posted on 11/21/2002 8:32:30 AM PST by Media Insurgent
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To: Nogbad
This issue would be a complete loser for the Democrats for one simple reason:

The only beneficiaries of the policy would be politicians- specifically Democrat politicians. What's in it for the average citizen? Nothing. Even the dem base isn't going to embrace this because they don't get any free handouts or special "rights" given to them.

I don't always trust the public to defend Constitutional liberties, but I trust them not to support an obvious breech of the first ammendment when it's so obviously an attempt by a small group of politicians to avoid criticism.
53 posted on 11/21/2002 8:40:26 AM PST by Media Insurgent
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To: Media Insurgent
From your lips etc. - but the public didn't stop CFR. A definite "attempt by a small group of politicians to avoid criticism".
54 posted on 11/21/2002 9:34:26 AM PST by Let's Roll
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To: Let's Roll
I agree with you about what CFR was REALLY about, but the public supported it because it was presented as a way to fight corruption and influence peddling. I don't think most people understand the consequences and implications of CFR and how it limits free speech. To them it's just a money issue.

But attacking talk show hosts or web sites is a different matter. There's no way to sell that as just a money issue. It would be impossible to make it look like anything other than what it was- a bunch of politicians trying to shut people up. There's been a major erosion of Consitutional liberties over the last few decades, but I don't think we're so far gone that the public would tolerate that.
55 posted on 11/21/2002 10:13:08 AM PST by Media Insurgent
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To: Media Insurgent
I see your distinction and really hope you're right. Related issue - have you heard when the SCOTUS will rule on CFR?
56 posted on 11/21/2002 10:30:09 AM PST by Let's Roll
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To: Nogbad
So, by the "Fairness Doctrine", PBS, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and MSNBC would have to have a conservative represent their views as well? I don't think they want to go there.
57 posted on 11/21/2002 10:37:10 AM PST by Caipirabob
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To: Let's Roll
- have you heard when the SCOTUS will rule on CFR?

Is there a case pending at the SC? Who filed it, and have there been any lower court decisions?

58 posted on 11/21/2002 12:47:29 PM PST by StopGlobalWhining
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To: Let's Roll; Congressman Billybob
Can you provide some insight into this? Thanks.
59 posted on 11/21/2002 1:16:50 PM PST by KansasGirl
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To: StopGlobalWhining
not a legal junkie - just know what's available on google - Mitch McConnell has filed a suit
60 posted on 11/21/2002 2:03:43 PM PST by Let's Roll
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