“This is just too funny. My irony meter has red-lined and wisps of smoke are curling up from it: Remember when news organizations went trolling for bigots at NASCAR events and Tea Party rallies? Wonder if 60 Minutes will be interested in following up.” Heh.This from the Instpandit blog site this AM.
Here is the Daily Caller on a sting run on NPR Fund Raising operations.
Here is a quote from The Daily Caller" about Mr Ron Schiller♠
...saying that the Tea Party people aren’t “just Islamaphobic, but really xenophobic, I mean basically they are, they believe in sort of white, middle-America gun-toting. I mean, it’s scary. They’re seriously racist, racist people.”Being myself a bitter clinger originially from Western Pennsylvania, I find this all indicative of people who just don't get out very much.
And then we have this quote from Schiller:
Well frankly, it is clear that we would be better off in the long-run without federal funding. The challenge right now is that if we lost it all together we would have a lot of stations go dark.In fairness, NPR came out and, while railing against this kind of gotcha journalism, did say they were appalled by the remarks. And rightfully so.
And, over at Ricochet we have this comment, should give pause:
As much as I appreciate insights like this, I'm reluctant to approve O'Keefe's actions.I think it is a bit over the top, but it asks a good question. All I can say is that investigative journalism has been around for a long time. The computer age just enlarged the tent a little.
How is this any different from tapping into someone's phone line (which requires a warrant) or opening someone's mail (a federal offense)? In either case, the targeted person is being denied knowledge of who is listening / reading, be it by stealth or by deception.
We must not join the Left in embracing an end-justifies-the-means mentality.
And, the Althouse spin.
UPDATE: I misspelled Mr Schiller's name in one location. Also, my wife tells me, NPR CEO Vivian Schiller (no relation) has been forced out by the NPR Board over this incident. This seems a little extreme on the part of the NPR Board, unless they have seen a pattern here.
Regards — Cliff
♠ It turns out Mr Schilling is departing NPR for the Aspen Institute.
8 comments:
So exactly what is it that the two NPR people said that were wrong?
Or is it giving voice to what so many believe that is bothersome?
What is it that the NPR people said that is wrong? Well.....because what they said is simply not true in the aggregate. To subscribe to that approach to truth declaration would also invite the counter that in the Democrat Party, many are communist in their beliefs. I'm certain that declaration invites screams of denial and indignation.
We don't believe that the Republican Party has been hijcked by the Tea Party? We don't believe that there is a certain racist element to the Tea Party? We don't believe that there are espousals of a xenophobic policy by the Tea Party? Who doesn't believe that, the Tea Party?
No one has accused the Democratic Party of being kidnapped by the Communists in it. In fact the Democratic Party is the party that captures the center these days.
What we should be worried about is how the Conservatives have captured and added Justice Thomas to the payroll.
No one? That is the problem with tarring a whole group because of the comments or beliefs of one or a few.
On the other hand, Lance isn't from Western Pennsylvania. He is not a bitter clinger, like I am.
While I agree with Professor Althouse that a little "sucking up" (Hat tip to Pretty Woman) is in order when you are entertaining potential donors, I thought that it was overdone.
And, frankly, I don't like the idea of NPR raising money by suggesting that I am a racist. It is not their place. While it is not illegal, as is alleged about "fundraising" by some NRP stations, it is still tasteless (Hat tip to the Instapundit).
Regards — Cliff
I think Jack Shafer of Slate has the perfect answer to this issue: http://www.slate.com/id/2287704/ Now there has been a bloodbath at NPR. Was that really necessary? Somehow I doubt it! One side over-reacts and the other side has to prove it also can over-react just as far! If someone came to me and offered a $5 million handout I'd be willing to at least put in a good word with the Devil himself if thats what it took to finalize the gift!
I take Paul's point, which is somewhat the one made by Professor Althouse, linked in the Blog Post. But, I still think that the Tea Party he is describing is not the Tea Party that exists. One important question is, can we achieve peace in the Holy Land if we can't tell the truth about each other? But, some pandering is always in order when there is money involved. Look at politics. And there will always be tricksters out there, as the Governor of Wisconsin found out the other day, when someone called in claiming to be one person, but was really another.
Regards — Cliff
Politics has always been the high art of compromise, an art that has been almost completely lost in the politics du jour of the US.
The opportunity for compromise is completely lost when vitriolic labeling is the first utterance. There is no factual basis for the contention that the tea party has hi-jacked the GOP...any more than the CPUS has hijacked the DNC. There are actually fewer "racist" incidents within the events that have been branded "tea party" events than with Democrat events...and in many incidences of so-called racist acts...it has been found that it was a Democrat in TP clothing.
VERY importantly, there really isn't an organized Tea Party. The Tea Party is actually more of a grass roots initiative and political philosophy that is espoused by a number of splinter groups who are organized and have in many ways banded together. So..the opponents of the Tea Party have not even done their homework about what it is that they oppose.
Yes, the policies espoused by so-called tea partiers are "xenophobic" from a Democrat's perspective, but NOT from the other side that views the endless implementation of collectivist dreams on the backs of taxpayers as a one way trip to hell.
The GOP has become ineffective and moderate in their expression of conservatism and free market capitalism, and thus, ineffective in countering the socialist views of a DNC that has been in control of the nation's destiny for far too long. When one examines the number of years in which the Congress has been controlled by the Democrats vs those steered by the GOP, a truth emerges in which the power of the purse and legislation has been skewed to the liberal view for over half a century....and in order to cloak their leanings, the DNC and their supporters have conveniently blamed our astronomic and unaffordable national debt on single folks like Bush. The people, thanks to folks who are tea partiers, no longer buy into it.
And, if you read your history, you will discover that the DNC was merged with the American Socialist Party in the thirties...well...the DNC 'absorbed" it.....and the Unions of the time, particularly the AFL were heavily composed of CPUS membership. So...by "logical" extension...today's DNC MIGHT be easily considered to have both communist and socialist roots. Of course, to actually say that requires a severe stretch of logic....but that is precisely what the opponents of the tea party philosophy are demanding we do.
Despite absorbtion one still has to answer who has hijacked who? It is clear the Tea Party has hijacked "the ineffectual" Republican Party, and maybe for the best. The Socialist Party and Communist Party have not hijacked the Democratic Party, in fact that part of the Party is no happy with how the President just keeps caving into the wild eyed side of the Republican Party.
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