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So, ABC has decided to be the All Barack Channel. They’ll be broadcasting from inside the White House on June 24th to air a propaganda infomercial on healthcare with Barack Obama. They’re calling it a “primetime special” titled “Prescription for America”, which will air live from the East Room. President Obama and White House officials will be pushing their healthcare agenda, and unsurprisingly, dissenting opinions are not allowed.
RNC Chief of Staff Ken McKay has filed a complaint, telling ABC to charge the DNC for the spot, or to allow Republicans to take part in the special:
Dear Mr. Westin:
As the national debate on health care reform intensifies, I am deeply concerned and disappointed with ABC’s astonishing decision to exclude opposing voices on this critical issue on June 24, 2009. Next Wednesday, ABC News will air a primetime health care reform “town hall” at the White House with President Barack Obama. In addition, according to an ABC News report, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, WORLD NEWS, NIGHTLINE and ABC’s web news “will all feature special programming on the president’s health care agenda.” This does not include the promotion, over the next 9 days, the president’s health care agenda will receive on ABC News programming.
Today, the Republican National Committee requested an opportunity to add our Party’s views to those of the President’s to ensure that all sides of the health care reform debate are presented. Our request was rejected. I believe that the President should have the ability to speak directly to the America people. However, I find it outrageous that ABC would prohibit our Party’s opposing thoughts and ideas from this national debate, which affects millions of ABC viewers.
In the absence of opposition, I am concerned this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda. If that is the case, this primetime infomercial should be paid for out of the DNC coffers. President Obama does not hold a monopoly on health care reform ideas or on free airtime. The President has stated time and time again that he wants a bipartisan debate. Therefore, the Republican Party should be included in this primetime event, or the DNC should pay for your airtime.
Respectfully,
Ken McKay
Republican National Committee
Chief of Staff
ABC politely told Mr. McKay and the Republicans to go screw themselves.
“ABCNEWS prides itself on covering all sides of important issues and asking direct questions of all newsmakers — of all political persuasions — even when others have taken a more partisan approach and even in the face of criticism from extremes on both ends of the political spectrum. ABCNEWS is looking for the most thoughtful and diverse voices on this issue.
“ABCNEWS alone will select those who will be in the audience asking questions of the president. Like any programs we broadcast, ABC News will have complete editorial control. To suggest otherwise is quite unfair to both our journalists and our audience.”
See? ABC now gets to decide which points of view are valid and allowed to be heard, and which are not. In this case, they just so happen to be silencing Barack Obama’s opposition. What a striking coincidence that the people they’re excluding are the ones who aren’t falling into lockstep with our Dear Leader.
Oh, sure, they’ll claim that they’re unbiased. Charlie Gibbs and Diane Sawyer are going to ask really, really tough questions!! And meanwhile, one major network of the mainstream media has just become a propaganda arm for our growingly socialist government. Hmm… what a surprise. Sadly, this isn’t that shocking. There is no such thing as journalism anymore, save for perhaps Fox News, which actually is fair and balanced. As I said repeatedly during the campaign, 2008 will be known as the year that journalism died. Why would the ass-kissers in the MSM suddenly start doing their jobs now? They’re doing so well propping up our Dear Leader. A fair, ethical media wouldn’t be choosing a side here. Real journalists would simply broadcast the debate with no bias, no shutting down of alternative opinions, and no favoritism. This is the stuff of the Soviet Union, not the United States.
Any American who values free press should boycott the products advertised on ABC. Also, feel free to contact ABC and complain.
Also, here’s the contact information for Kerry Smith, Senior Vice President for ABC News. She’s the one who responded to Ken McKay’s complaint, so perhaps she would be a good person to contact. She is “responsible for maintaining the journalistic integrity and editorial standards of ABC News”. As always, be polite. Do not yell, do not use profanity. I’m sure I don’t really need to tell you guys that, but I’m saying it just in case.
Kerry Smith:
(212) 456-4446
Kerry.Marash@ABC.com
David Korkowski says: Really. You decide who will be in the audience. I thought that you were a news organization. Meaning that you report the news and let the viewers hear all sides. I will watch your special with great interest, and if there are not quite riveting questions challenging the proposals presented, I will be contacting the FCC. Your license in right belongs to the people, for the airwaves belong to the public. Fail to do your job and I along with many others will challenge your right to the airwaves.
Julie says: Nobody there to voice opposing views – no more watching anything on ABC or buying products advertised on ABC. Simple as that.
BobV says: So about that fairness doctrine, guaranteeing equal air time to opposing viewpoints, that the left loves to bleat on about, I guess that doesn’t apply here.
WayneB says: Regarding the fairness doctrine, the Left gets to decide what “fair” is. They would decide that ABC was being “fair”, and that if they let the RNC into the mix, it would THEN be “biased”.
bruce101 says: is any one surprised by abc being a propaganda arm of the socialist democrats the nyt shilled for stalin when he was murdering millions of Ukrainians.our lame stream media has always been on the side of our enemies from that left wing gas bag, walter cronkite, to today’s gang of nobody’s.they will support obongo hussein as he tries to over throw our constitution, what i think they need is a good coat of tar.
Obama has illegally forced himself into the business of providing pensions to the UAW (via a forced bankruptcy on the part of Chrysler which kept them from being sold off in bits and pieces). Is this really a surprise? What a shame…this will hasten the demiseof the federal government, as it simply cannot provide for the tax base while at the sme time taking so much from it, nor was our government ever set up to do that. I would move to another country, but where? Canada is in the same boat, so is most of Europe…just shameful.
sally says: I think our liberties are being chipped away one little chunk at a time, and before we don’t have time to think about them, another one is thrown at us before we have really digested the last. Now the media is getting involved, and for those out there who can’t think for themselves, and the so called leaders in Washington are so busy looking out for themselves and their next campaign, they are taking the path of least resistence, even though they know it is wrong. There is an ill wind blowing in this country. It suddenly feels like big brother is watching everything we do. Will sensoring of our internet and anything in opposition of Obamathink be next??? Now, the propaganda machine is ready to swing into action with ABC, and those who can’t think for themselves will buy into whatever is said on this poor excuse for a news? station. God help us all….
rgw says: Kerry Smith’s phone number: (212) 456-7777 . Tell her that you’ll be boycotting advertisers; that you won’t be watching the show; that opposing viewpoints should be included!
BobV says: I wish Bush had tried something like this with foxnews during his 8 years. The cries of “fascism” would still be echoing.
Ruth says: I haven’t seen this kind of a love affair with a president since Kennedy was in office and it was reported to be Camelot.
Anyone see any similarities with what’s going on in Iran? No dissenting opinions allowed there either.
Mark says: We heard for eight years “Bushitler” yet this guy Obama is so like the fuhrer it’s sickening. How long before he gets his comeuppance in his bunker?
lara says: ABC (all barak channel) is conducting a very public love affair
with our President. The idea that the President would “pick” a news channnel and exclude others is an anathema to all things American.
CaptDMO says: Because it worked so well for NYT (et al), and Newsweek, and General Electric (et al)-but sadly, the unintended consequences aren’t getting
them “stimulus” bailout mulligans, not that any of the above appear to repent.
Apparently ABC’s only option to rise above the conventional wisdom(sic) in Socialist dwindling demand product marketing is submit to
the Facist designation of “official” Democrat Administration Communication Center. I suspect THEIR dwindling “operating cost revenues” (what’s the expected cap on a “producers” salary?) from
advertisers that bail will be MORE than met by some “special exception” to policies set fourth for Capitalists by President Obama’s current “administration” and free range czars.
On the other side of the coin, This DOES completely deflate ANY alleged argument for the political lie called “The Fairness Doctrine”, and in doing so, reexamines the intellectual/political pertinence of ALL signatories to the Legislative Edict
demanding the silencing of Rush Limbaugh’s sunlight brand of freedom of speech. Of course, the Duke 88 haven’t “suffered” any consequence for their brand of “Academic excellence” have they?
(non sequitur? I don’t THINK so!)
Of course, I could be wrong…
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