‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

[TuNnL]

NPR CEO Schiller ousted by conservative video sting

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

CHICAGO, March 8, 2011 — NPR executive Tom Schiller was the first to go. Today, amid an embarassing video firestorm, NPR CEO Vivian Schiller (no relation) has just been fired. Ousted. Canned. Or if you prefer, the kindler, gentler euphemism, NPR’s Board of Directors accepted Schiller’s resignation.

The video sting, orchestrated by James O’Keefe’s Veritas Project, reveals the comments of NPR senior executive Ron Schiller during a luncheon meeting with conservative activists posing undercover as two members of a fictitious Muslim organization intent on donating $5 million.

[buzz1941]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

The lesson? Never talk to rabid conservatives.

[Kalalau]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

Note, no disagreement as to the content of the remarks. I would love to see the same tactics used against the reich wing. Wouldn't it have been interesting to see video of Cheney carving up Iraq's oil fields among bush's campaign contributors at their very first cabinet meeting, or eagerly capitalizing on all the 9-11 deaths as an excuse to attack a country that wasn't even involved? That sure seems a lot more newsworthy than somebody voicing their opinion about the tea party, which IS funded by the John Birch Society's founder's trust babies. Its a lot like a person spending a fortune to cure a zit and ignoring a big heart attack.

[bjd392]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

Selective amnesia settling in? A Februrary 23 post on "prank-calling" Scott Walker was a left tactic against the right. The difference was it wasn't as effective as the foot-in-mouth corporate exec. blatantly admitting it didn't need government funding in the wake of a huge push to keep NPR funded.

When it comes down to punking a State Governor or punking a corporate executive asking for Federal Funding, the one that influences everyone's piggy bank is the one that'll get the attention. Based on the video, Congressmen would be hard-pressed to defend a vote to continue funding them when they already admitted they don't need it.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

Selective amnesia settling in? A Februrary 23 post on "prank-calling" Scott Walker was a left tactic against the right. The difference was it wasn't as effective as the foot-in-mouth corporate exec. blatantly admitting it didn't need government funding in the wake of a huge push to keep NPR funded.

When it comes down to punking a State Governor or punking a corporate executive asking for Federal Funding, the one that influences everyone's piggy bank is the one that'll get the attention. Based on the video, Congressmen would be hard-pressed to defend a vote to continue funding them when they already admitted they don't need it.

So, what is it you have against funding such a minute portion of public broadcasting, or all of it?
Channel by channel it's by far the best stuff on TV, and about the only outlet left to provide what the airwaves were intended for, a true public service, but you're losing skin from it?

Whether they need the $ or not, they/we deserve it to be given.

[buzz1941]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

Actually, he was talking about the difficulty of raising funds from private sources who know that NPR is partly funded by the government. There is relentless conservative pressure to make America move as far as possible from a well-informed electorate.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

The move to end federal funding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will have wider-reaching effects than just cutting off a small portion of funding to the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio.

Many smaller stations serving rural or otherwise hard-to-reach populations of Americans depend on CPB funding to assist them with equipment upgrades required by technological changes. A number of radio stations have even said that they would have to shut down if they lost CPB funds.

[bjd392]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

Simply put, regardless of whether NPR receives federal funding or not, it'll still be there. There's no skin lost. It's not getting "shut down." It's not getting censored. It's not going away. Too many "rich people" who should be (as lefts put it) taxed are generously donating millions of dollars to it anyway, so it can generously be written off. Needless to say, NPR is quite comfortable with its funding. Who knows, maybe they get more funding than most other 'mainstream' media sources.

NPR should be there for those who are interested in it, and for those who are, then pony up and donate. If they self-admit that they don't need government funding, then any smart person would say, "ok, then we won't give it to you." With stories like these, you don't even need to look at "right wing" media for sources.

[matapule]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

I support NPR financially. I hope others will do the same. It is more vital than ever that legitimate discourse be available on the public airwaves.

[timkona]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

WOW!!!! LOLOLOL.

So the dude says they get 80 mil from the gummint. And Obama wants to give them 451 mil this year? That would be over half of the 800 mil that the dude says is their operating budget.

The dude says the rest of America is racist, then goes on to talk about Jewish owned media, Palestinian voice, etc. Sounds to me like the dude is the racist.

Liberalism is the heart and home of racism. Racism, and the continuation of the idea of separating people by color, is one terrific way to foster dependence. Democrats need failure and dependency. That is the main source of their power.

"You can't make it on your own. That's why you need us."

[Kalalau]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

I have a great idea for a radio format, I think it would make a lot of money. As we see here, a lot of people dig the idiotic blathering hate put out by the Limbaughs on the dial, so lets do the same for ethnic minorities. Especially on the mainland, lets have a network of, oh, say 500 or so stations program incendiary Spanish language programs preaching hate for white people, for anglos, for protestants, and in favor of taking Aztlan back for Mexico. Money is all that matters, right? Who cares about the content, right? And if a few people die, if say a civil war gets started, why, who cares as long as San Antonio makes even more money. And why stop there? Hate sells so well. I think there might be a market among disaffected whites for pitching hate against Blacks, and haven't the Jews had it good for a long time? It makes MONEY, thats all that counts. If it makes our society worse, so what? San Antonio is raking in the dough.

Lets see here, I guess we don't need the Securities and Exchange Commission, if somebody is stupid enough to put their money in a bank and the bank happens to go bankrupt, why, thats what they get, right? The failure is all their own fault. And if some kid gets cancer from living downwind from some toxic waste plume, well thats just tough luck, its the kid's fault, obviously, the failure is his responsibility, you don't need an EPA. Thats why our new Republican congress has cut funding for the SEC and the EPA by 1/4, so the American people can finally start shouldering their own responsibility for their miserable failures. No, you don't need government. Build your own roads, and if an epidemic sweeps the country like swine flu or diphtheria in your water supply, well at least you won't be dependent on Big Government, you will die (quickly) with the pride of knowing that you did it yourself. Ok with gas stations dilluting your gasoline with water? Would that be Ok? Or should there be a law, and somebody to enforce it? Ok with getting robbed at gunpoint, or should there be a cop paid out of the public treasury to maintain your safety? How about an FAA to make sure the plane you are riding in is safe, or are you willing to let the chips (planes) fall where they will, knowing that if you die in a crash it will be only because of your own failure. Jeeze...

[bjd392]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

Hey, Chicken Little, the sky ain't falling. But if you're that worried, I'll let you borrow my umbrella. In the meantime, while you "spew your counter ideas of hate," the rest of the sensible people are just going to ignore that momentary lapse of forgotten medication. On the other hand, it would be pure entertainment to watch you even try.

[Ron Whitfield]

A con Carol

Too bad we can't all be visited by a type of The Ghost Of America Past, so we can see what a country completely ruled by cons and their closet con bretheren vs mods and libs would look like. We've seen the previews, some of it is scary disgusting, and what's really bad/sad is that many would still prefer the con-tamination.

Lucky we live in Dem preference Hawaii, far from the cesspool.

[Kalalau]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

Mandatory reading should be "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair, get a feel for what life was like in the good old days before pure food and drug laws or labor laws or unions interfered with the right of capitalists to grind up rotting rat carcasses and unfortunate workers into sausage for the free market.

[Kaonohi]

Re: ‘Tea Party’ Comments Force NPR Resignation

Try think back.
What were the 'good years?'
When inflation never darkened our portfolios. When war didn't steal our children. When we were confident of our government and our representatives.

Who was in the White House? Which party filled the halls of the Congress and Senate?
When there was little or no prejudice and discrimination, no riots, no special interests.

NPR is stimulating talk radio, and part of a necessary balance in out intellectual lives, but where is it taking us? Back to the 'good old days?' Or did we even ever have 'good old days?'

For discussion.