Censorship: Proposed Newspaper Bailout Will Lead To Totalitarian Government-run Media

Enough with the bailouts already! Stop rewarding failure! Let the free market run its course!

Advertising revenue is down because the product stinks!

But don't be fooled: by providing media outlets with government aid, the Fed will have control in the editorial content of these newspapers.

And if that doesn't frighten you, how does fascism and totalitarianism sound?

Because that is where this will lead. Government-run media.

All the great societies used this trick! the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Shōwa Japan, German Democratic Republic (East Germany), People's Republic of Hungary, Socialist Republic of Romania, People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Derg Ethiopia, People's Republic of China, Democratic Kampuchea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Communist Czechoslovakia, Saddam Hussein's Iraq, Hugo Chavez' Venezuela and other famous tyrannical regimes throughout the ages!

Forget the Fairness Doctrine; this takes the war on Free Speech down an entirely new slippery slope.

WASHINGTON (Reuters)

With many U.S. newspapers struggling to survive, a Democratic senator on Tuesday introduced a bill to help them by allowing newspaper companies to restructure as nonprofits with a variety of tax breaks.

"This may not be the optimal choice for some major newspapers or corporate media chains but it should be an option for many newspapers that are struggling to stay afloat," said Senator Benjamin Cardin.

A Cardin spokesman said the bill had yet to attract any co-sponsors, but had sparked plenty of interest within the media, which has seen plunging revenues and many journalist layoffs.

Cardin's Newspaper Revitalization Act would allow newspapers to operate as nonprofits for educational purposes under the U.S. tax code, giving them a similar status to public broadcasting companies.

Under this arrangement, newspapers would still be free to report on all issues, including political campaigns. But they would be prohibited from making political endorsements.

Advertising and subscription revenue would be tax exempt, and contributions to support news coverage or operations could be tax deductible.

Because newspaper profits have been falling in recent years, "no substantial loss of federal revenue" was expected under the legislation, Cardin's office said in a statement.

Cardin's office said his bill was aimed at preserving local and community newspapers, not conglomerates which may also own radio and TV stations. His bill would also let a non-profit buy newspapers owned by a conglomerate.

"We are losing our newspaper industry," Cardin said. "The economy has caused an immediate problem, but the business model for newspapers, based on circulation and advertising revenue, is broken, and that is a real tragedy for communities across the nation and for our democracy.

Newspaper subscriptions and advertising have shrunk dramatically in the past few years as Americans have turned more and more to the Internet or television for information.

In recent months, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Rocky Mountain News, the Baltimore Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle have ceased daily publication or announced that they may have to stop publishing.

In December the Tribune Company, which owns a number of newspapers including The Baltimore Sun, The Chicago Tribune and The Los Angeles Times filed for bankruptcy protection.

Two newspaper chains, Gannett Co Inc and Advance Publications, on Monday announced employee furloughs. It will be the second furlough this year at Gannett.

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VIDEO: Hilarious Bit From Glenn Beck and Larry The Dead Fish

Seriously. A dead fish. Beck is ridiculous!

Brilliant. Beck makes the point that America is printing money to the tune of trillions of dollars while covering it up with Obama's media nonsense.

One of the funniest things I've seen in months. Priceless.

VIDEO: Blago Guest Hosts On Chicago Radio Show; Priceless!

Blago filled in on The BIG 89, WLS! Blagojevich fills in for the vacationing Don Wade & Roma in the morning on The Big 89 WLS, Chicago. (WLSAM.com - 890AM).


He's a natural! Hopefully he can get his own radio show when he's in prison!

Download the entire show here.
Christian Science Monitor has the highlights:

Yeah, perhaps it was theater of the weird, but it was pretty entertaining.

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich appeared on WLS radio today in Chicago.

No big deal, right? The only person who gets more media time is that other guy from Chicago.

Morning Drive

Here’s the difference. Blago was the host. For two hours this morning, the ex-gov did all the things that morning drive air personalities do. He took calls from listeners, bantered with high profile guests, joked with the news and weather staff, and kept welcoming Chicagoans to the show.

Like him or not (probably not, as his approval rating was four percent in December), he was good. He was really good. Perhaps radio is where he should hang his hat (if one could fit over his head) after he gets out of prison or whatever happens to him.

Book

We found out a lot this morning. When talking to CNN host and comedian DL Hughley, Blago said he was working hard on his forthcoming book. He’s already up to page three, he said.

“You’re probably four pages further than George Bush is on his,” Hughley countered.

Enemies

He spent a sizable amount of time going after the lawmakers who impeached him a couple months ago following his arrest on federal corruption charges.

“They had a sham impeachment process,” he said. “I was hijacked from office. I didn’t have a chance to prove I did nothing wrong. I wasn’t allowed to call witnesses. This was a backroom deal.”

Hair

Sadly, there was only one mention of Blago’s giant hair. When he announced to his team that he was ready to take some calls, the concerned newsman asked if the headphones were going to mess up his hair.

“I brought my brush,” Blago said.

“You brought the football?” the traffic reporter asked, alluding to the nickname the ex-governor gave to his ever-present Paul Mitchell.

“I’m not governor anymore, it is a smaller brush,” he replied.

Highlight

But the highlight of the show was when two actors who are performing in “Rod Blagojevich Superstar” – the spoof musical put on by the Second City theater group – joined him in the studio.

You could say the interview brought him face to face with himself, as one of the guys plays Blagojevich in the show.

“I feel like Laurence Olivier meeting Hamlet,” the actor said.

Job

Telling Blago that he’s “good for tickets” because the show keeps selling out, they asked the real Rod to join the cast. And not necessarily to play himself. They offered him any role.

“I’d like to play the US Attorney and I’d be real nice to the governor,” Blago joked.

Kids

Perhaps wanting to bring his family, Blago asked if the show was kid friendly.

“Yes,” one actor replied. “Kids who want to grow up fast. And kids who have horrible parents.”

We attempted to live blog the show. You can read the transcript here.

I heart Blago!

Redistribution of Wealth: Obama Asks Volcker to Lead Panel on Tax-Code Overhaul

Here comes the redistribution of wealth.

I'm all for fixing the tax code -- how about simplifying the code and letting Americans keep more of their money instead of sucking us dry of every last penny?

Oh right, I forgot, that would make it hard to fund your radical socialist agenda.

Team "O" also wants to destroy free market capitalism?

More proof of Obama's war on investors. Welcome to The United Socialist States of America (USSA).

My bad.

March 25 (Bloomberg)

President Barack Obama is putting former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker in charge of a tax-code review aimed at closing loopholes, streamlining the law and generating revenue, budget Director Peter Orszag said.

Volcker, 81, who heads the president’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, is being asked to take a look at the laws in an effort to rebalance the tax system.

Orszag said the review, given a deadline of Dec. 4, is being ordered to make recommendations on steps to simplify the code, built over the last 96 years, in ways that would reduce tax evasion and what he called “corporate welfare.”

“There are hundreds of billions of dollars in uncollected taxes each year,” Orszag said in a conference call. The Volcker board “will be examining ways of being even more aggressive on reducing the tax gap.”

The tax gap is the difference between the amount of taxes owed by taxpayers and companies and the amount collected. Orszag cited academic studies suggesting that the difference is $300 billion or more. That is “ a lot of money,” he said, adding that the administration is going to be “as aggressive as possible” in reducing it.

Obama made a tax overhaul part of his platform during the presidential campaign. One goal is to close loopholes that he said reward companies that move jobs overseas.

VIDEO UPDATE: Hillary Flexes American Muscle On North Korea

UPDATE: Speaking to reporters during a visit to Mexico City, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday warned North Korea that firing a missile for any purpose would be a 'provocative act' that would have consequences.



Wow! It's nice to see Team "O" defending freedom and liberty for a change!

From the AP:

North Korea is loading a Taepodong rocket on its east coast launch pad in anticipation of the launch of a communications satellite early next month, U.S. officials say. U.S. counterproliferation and intelligence officials have confirmed Japanese news reports of the expected launch between April 4 and 8. North Korea announced its intention to launch the satellite in February.

Regional powers worry the claim is a cover for the launch of a long-range missile capable of reaching Alaska. National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair said earlier this month that all indications suggest North Korea will in fact launch a satellite.

Reuters reports:

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday a potential missile launch by North Korea would be a provocative act that would have consequences for talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

Clinton's comments came as a U.S. official said North Korea had positioned what is believed to be a long-range ballistic missile on a launch pad in what could be a preparation for a launch.

"We have made it very clear that the North Koreans pursue this pathway at a cost and with consequences to the six-party talks which we would like to see revived and moving forward as quickly as possible," she told reporters on a visit to Mexico City.

"This provocative action ... will not go unnoticed and there will be consequences," she said.