Comments on: Democrats Speaking “Truth to Power” http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/speaking-truth-to-power/ Off-the-cuff commentary on the day's events Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:58:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Preston http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52328 Preston Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:34:40 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/12/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52328 Robbie: Scroll down to the <a href="http://mediamatters.org/sundayshowreport/online_version/" rel="nofollow">graphs.</a> On <strong>none</strong> of the major Sunday news shows (ABC This Week, Fox News Sunday, Meet the Press, and Face the Nation) do the numbers of Democratic guests equal the numbers of Republican guests. On Fox News it's a 2 to 1 difference. If GE, Viacom, Disney, and the News Corp. were actually interested in pushing a 'liberal agenda' don't you think they might invite, you know, liberals? Dianne: Can you think of anchors of the mainstream networks calling a sitting congressman<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2007/02/18/hume-murtha-smear/" rel="nofollow"> senile?</a> Robbie:
Scroll down to the graphs.

On none of the major Sunday news shows (ABC This Week, Fox News Sunday, Meet the Press, and Face the Nation) do the numbers of Democratic guests equal the numbers of Republican guests. On Fox News it’s a 2 to 1 difference. If GE, Viacom, Disney, and the News Corp. were actually interested in pushing a ‘liberal agenda’ don’t you think they might invite, you know, liberals?

Dianne:
Can you think of anchors of the mainstream networks calling a sitting congressman senile?

]]> By: dianne http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52326 dianne Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:17:01 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/12/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52326 Of all people on Fox News, Brit Hume is definitely not the person who would do that. I have never seen him be disrespectful to anybody and I watch him a lot. Believe me, I watch the other cable news channels as well and there are plenty of hosts who can match the best of sharp tongues on Fox News. But, this will pass and is actually ridiculous to the point of being childish. Of all people on Fox News, Brit Hume is definitely not the person who would do that. I have never seen him be disrespectful to anybody and I watch him a lot.

Believe me, I watch the other cable news channels as well and there are plenty of hosts who can match the best of sharp tongues on Fox News.

But, this will pass and is actually ridiculous to the point of being childish.

]]> By: Preston http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52322 Preston Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:02:20 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/12/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52322 I don't think it makes any difference who knows him- it's simple: if you want a fair hearing for your ideas you don't go on a network whose president who either libels your candidates or treats them like a standup routine. I'd be happy for Democrats to reach out to Fox News viewers- perhaps that a part of why I come to this website- but do you have any doubt that Brit Hume's first question would be, "Mr. Obama, when did you stop beating your wife?" I don’t think it makes any difference who knows him- it’s simple: if you want a fair hearing for your ideas you don’t go on a network whose president who either libels your candidates or treats them like a standup routine.

I’d be happy for Democrats to reach out to Fox News viewers- perhaps that a part of why I come to this website- but do you have any doubt that Brit Hume’s first question would be, “Mr. Obama, when did you stop beating your wife?”

]]> By: dianne http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52314 dianne Mon, 12 Mar 2007 18:23:09 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/12/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52314 Hardly anybody in this country even knows who Roger Ailes is. What he said may have been in poor taste, but the Dems have played that game time and time again. Even I didn't know who he was until I happened to catch part of the awards presentation on c-span about 2 a.m. In the end, all the general public will see is that the Dems are refusing to engage in debate on a well established popular news channel. Hardly anybody in this country even knows who Roger Ailes is. What he said may have been in poor taste, but the Dems have played that game time and time again. Even I didn’t know who he was until I happened to catch part of the awards presentation on c-span about 2 a.m.

In the end, all the general public will see is that the Dems are refusing to engage in debate on a well established popular news channel.

]]> By: Preston http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52297 Preston Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:34:29 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/12/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52297 oops. Scratch the last sentence. oops. Scratch the last sentence.

]]> By: Preston http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52296 Preston Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:33:25 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/12/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52296 So <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/rtndf_1st_amendment_awards_transcript_of_roger_ailes_acceptance_speech_54637.asp#more" rel="nofollow">Roger Ailes </a>compares Barak Obama to Osama bin Laden and performs some kind of stand up routine on Hillary Clinton's marriage: it doesn't sound like Jim Lehrer or Ted Koppel to me- a bit more like Al Franken or Janeane Garafolo. But I think the <a href="http://atrios.blogspot.com/2007_03_04_atrios_archive.html#117348990219975326" rel="nofollow">question that </a>sums up this 'controversy' for me is: <em>Do actual respectable "balanced" news networks issue press releases telling candidates and political parties what they are and aren't supposed to do? </em> Tell me the last time that So Roger Ailes compares Barak Obama to Osama bin Laden and performs some kind of stand up routine on Hillary Clinton’s marriage: it doesn’t sound like Jim Lehrer or Ted Koppel to me- a bit more like Al Franken or Janeane Garafolo.

But I think the question that sums up this ‘controversy’ for me is:

Do actual respectable “balanced” news networks issue press releases telling candidates and political parties what they are and aren’t supposed to do?

Tell me the last time that

]]> By: Robbie http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52291 Robbie Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:07:14 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/12/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52291 I think a more apt analgoy would be "when the Republicans hold a debate on CBS, NBC, or ABC". All of which have already happened, and will happen many times in the future. In order for your analogy to be valid, the Dems would have pulled out of a debate being held on the Rush Limbaugh radio show. I think a more apt analgoy would be “when the Republicans hold a debate on CBS, NBC, or ABC”. All of which have already happened, and will happen many times in the future.

In order for your analogy to be valid, the Dems would have pulled out of a debate being held on the Rush Limbaugh radio show.

]]> By: Preston http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52288 Preston Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:59:33 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2007/03/12/speaking-truth-to-power/#comment-52288 When the GOP holds a debate on Air America I'll reconsider my opinion that the Democrats did the right thing. When the GOP holds a debate on Air America I’ll reconsider my opinion that the Democrats did the right thing.

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