Archive for the ‘internet/free speech’ Category

You know how when you wake up you’re kinda groggy. I woke up today exactly that way and took a peek at a few headlines kinda half asleep scanning a story or two. Then I read the end of this post concerning media outlets banning employees from the Stewart rally where a lady named Emily Bell of Columbia University commented thus about NPR:

She also noted that the case with NPR is different because it is partially publicly funded, which means that it is held to a higher standard to not appear biased.

“NPR has the right approach because they are in the business of serving the public,” She said. “I think it is perfectly consistent to require a higher standard of impartiality.”

There is nothing like a good shock to wake a person totally up. Nobody except a person involved in the liberal academia could have suggested that NPR holds itself to a “higher standard impartiality.”

All that being said I’d let them all go if they want to. I think that way when people read the story they can be aware of the bias of the author and can give that bias as much or as little weight as they think it deserves. No restriction but full disclosure.

The town Hall in Leominster Mass was packed yesterday and both Bill Gunn and Neal Heeren took an awful lot of questions from the audience:

On Term Limits:


on town hall meetings:

On How he can make a difference:


(more…)

It is crunch time for the DaTechGuy / Robert Stacy McCain road trip to hit districts in NY and Penn.

We are at least $300 short from being able to do this and that doesn’t even count any meals or hotels.

If we can get the last $300 $275 $250 $190 $165 $135 the road trip is on. If we can’t the road trip is off. I’m in no financial position to do this at a deficit.

So if you would like to see us hit some districts consider hitting DaTipJar to finance the trip and lets see if we can make it.

Consider how much of a difference its making in MA-3 and Marty Lamb because we were there. Could that happen in your district?

If not. Well Stacy can find a last min flight and I have plenty to do around here.

Just so everyone understands, there the John Stewart rally exists for two different purposes. One of which has already been achieved.

For Comedy Central, it is PR and even if only two drunks show up they have managed to get the ratings and promoting they want. Comedy Central has achieved its goal.

For the left, it is different, over and over the left has tried to ignore, silence, dismiss and destroy the tea party to no effect. Finally they tried to outdraw them, but the Sharpton and the One Nation rallies were spectacular failures.

So they have gone all in to achieve the goal. What goal? As as One Nation. The goal here is to paint democrats as energized and engaged and ready to vote and to get the MEDIA to report this.

Let’s make one thing clear. Stewart rally Keg Party is going to be very well attended (Oprah, Arianna and comedy central paying for the trip isn’t going to hurt either. I don’t know if they will outdraw Beck, (or if they will pick up their trash, but I suspect Stewart is not stupid enough to let his crowd trash the mall.)

It is NOT going to be an indication of democratic strength or purpose. It is going to be about a bunch of people getting to see their favorite comics and have a fun time (Think Dan’s Bake sale except Rush didn’t pay for people to go).

The Mainstream media WILL paint it as a sign that democrats are energized and will talk about nothing else on Monday, with the goal of actually energizing the unenergized voters. When Joe Scarborough decided that One Nation wasn’t worth talking about since “He was watching football” I guarantee you Morning Joe have time to comment on it and guest after guest from the left media will be talking about how it is a game-changer.

The goal will be to make it a game changer. It will fail.

Update: Sissy Willis on the subject

Update 2: Doug Powers comments at Michelle’s

Huffington and Winfrey are spending a lot of cash to ship people to the rally — people who wouldn’t have attended unless somebody gave them a free ride. As far as I’m concerned, Arianna and Oprah’s money is helping make an ironic point for the right.

Exactly.