10/22/10 04:53 - ID#52997

Juan

So as every NPR junky has heard Juan Williams was fired this week.

I have mixed feelings about this whole mess. First I must confess I love NPR. It's the only radio station I will listen to, with the exception of christian radio (that is a completely different kind of obsession). I love NPR because its where I get not only my news but entertainment. I don't think NPR is a liberal media outlet although I'm sure someone would argue that. Even though I completely disagree with Mr. Williams sentiments I was shocked to hear he was fired. I disagree with him being fired for expressing his feelings. I believe he probably was fired more for where he said his comments than for what he actually said. With that said I will still listen to NPR and give them my money.

It's incredibly unfortunate that Sarah Palin is still in the spotlight. She is now calling for all federal funding for NPR to be cut

. It's unbelievable to me the idiocy that spews forth from this woman. Why should a news organization that is truly "fair and balanced" be in her sights? Is it because she feels threatened by anyone smarter than her? I mean she folded when Katie Couric, of all people, interviewed her. Such hard hitting questions as "what newspapers do you read?" really threw a wrench in her spokes. I sincerely hope our country is still with it enough to never elect this woman.

tinypliny writes at 11:24:02 10/29/10 - Comment #59091: Also, Muslims have the best sartorial skills on the planet. I would NEVER trust an Indian Hindu or any of the other zillion religious/idealistic/non-religious/way-of-life Indian sects for making any garbs whatsoever.

tinypliny writes at 11:21:16 10/29/10 - Comment #59090: How is a muslim garb different from an arab garb?

PS: heh, all the top bollywood stars and starlets are muslims btw.

heidi writes at 09:59:42 10/29/10 - Comment #59087: What is "Muslim garb"? :::link:::

jason writes at 10:06:24 10/28/10 - Comment #59059: Juan Williams got fired for two reasons: First, and I think foremost, it was because he consistently went on Fox News Channel. This was a source of annoyance for his bosses. Secondly, it was because he was in a sanitized, politically correct, left-leaning company culture epitomized by that condescending bitch Schiller, that cannot come to terms with the fact that millions of people just like Juan Williams have suffered trauma because of the successful (and unsuccessful) attacks by Muslims on airplanes. The backlash was predictable and justified.

I won't say NPR violated his free speech rights. Only the government can do that. Some are arguing because of the government dollars being spent it does constitute a free speech violation, but I doubt that would be a successful argument in court. Juan Williams doesn't have a right to a job. If he wanted to be employed with NPR he had to be a good boy and stay on board with the company culture (as Libertad has already said). In the end he's making more money with a better company, and his reputation is only diminished in the eyes of hard core left wingers. All's well that ends well, and he'll be fine.

People are pissing and moaning over 2-3 million dollars (allegedly). I think they can do without it and let their moneyed, left-leaning demographic pick up the slack. For that matter, I think state sponsored news and political coverage is an awful, ill conceived idea. It's actually worse in the UK because you are forced to pay a license fee for the privilege of consuming nakedly biased, condescending coverage. If NPR were to keep the tax money, I wish they would focus on children's programming, educational and cultural programming. That's what I love most about NPR and PBS. I'm willing to pay for that.

libertad writes at 11:29:05 10/23/10 - Comment #59016: I don't see anything wrong with the firing of Juan Williams. This is definitely not a violation of free speech. I think that NPR and any other news agency is within its right to hire and fire the type of journalist that fits their programming. Their rationale for firing him is completely reasonable.

"His remarks on The O'Reilly Factor this past Monday were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR," the statement read. :::link:::

jbeatty writes at 08:22:33 10/22/10 - Comment #59014: They used to play the BBC World News Hour on NPR. I really enjoyed it. But it was always on at odd hours, I think around 11pm or midnight even.

tinypliny writes at 07:15:48 10/22/10 - Comment #59010: Meanwhile, across the pond, they are trying to cut funding and support to the BBC World Service - my favourite news source (apart from Google News).

metalpeter writes at 05:48:59 10/22/10 - Comment #59009: I can't believe I'm going to say what I'm going to say about Palin.

1st. You can't fire someone for something they say there is this thing called freedom of speech. Well except for Bill Maher and "Nappy Headed Hoes" . But you really shouldn't be able to... Lets say you can.

2nd. People are hired for how they speak and how they convey things. That is why you hired them you shouldn't get rid of them when they say something you don't agree with. Again you are in the MEDIA the truth is 1st.

What happened is that NPR doesn't like fox so he went on fox not npr so they fired him.

Every media person has a slight bias or in some cases a strong bias. Most shows or channels have a biased as well. O'reily fits in with fox and the way in leans.

Now I agree with Sarah Palin NPR should lose its funding, well or some or maybe the show he was on. They are trying to control what people say. If it isn't what they believe to be the truth they can fire you. Who says that they haven't made other people do what they say. The Media should be held to a certain standard.

The Problem with the news is that how news is covered has changed. News used to be just one part of the media and yes sometimes it did go along with government lines. Yes sometimes it was part of the propaganda machine. But it was about the truth. It wasn't about making a profit and having ratings. See when ratings come into it, you can't get into great discussions and different views of what is going on, you have to have catch phrases and quick little bits with no details and talking points and crap like that and people yelling and not really talking......

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Category: politics

02/01/08 10:04 - ID#43126

Presidential Race

Not that I talk about politics much. I am really curious to see who is going to end up running with who. With the top two democrats being so cordial last night and Giuliani kissing Mccains's ass are we going to see a Clinton/Obama vs McCain/Giuliani election?

james writes at 02:57:22 02/01/08 - Comment #31179: Speaking of relics from the 60's, I was slightly saddened to find out that Obama was born on the last year of the baby boomers.

jason writes at 01:34:38 02/01/08 - Comment #31173: I'm done with the old blood. I just am. These sixties relics need to be put out to pasture. I don't want to hear anything about the 60's anymore. We have to define our own times on our own terms. Obama to me seems like the only one these days who isn't fundamentally full of shit about who he is or what he believes. If the Democratics are first in this respect, to turn the page, then so be it.

james writes at 01:30:34 02/01/08 - Comment #31172: While on the campaign trail Obama has been brokering a peace deal in Kenya. The man is not the most experienced member of our government in foreign relations, certainly, and will have a ton of people advising him on this and other issues. I am just saying this trope of 'he has no experience' is malarkey. But if experience were the sole qualifier for a president Biden or Dodd should have won the nominee. I am just tired of camp Hillary painted herself as having a ton more experience than he has. And sure, working for Barry Goldwater and Walmart must have been fantastic experience but man am I sick of her acting like her shit doesn't stink when clearly it is one of the stinkiest bits around.

Have I mentioned Joe Biden looks like a werewolf?

joshua writes at 01:04:14 02/01/08 - Comment #31167: James, suggesting that Obama has great foreign relations experience because he's spent part of his life overseas and now sits on the foreign relations committee as a freshman senator... I know you are an Obama fanboi but that is severely stretching it. Obama has many, many questions to answer if he expects to calm the people down who feel that he is underqualified - which I have to say is the case. If he gets elected he will likely have been the least qualified President to win the office since Grover Cleveland, and even Grover Cleveland was more qualified than Obama is, having served as NYS governor.

I love Joe Biden - he is by far my favorite Democrat. He is a bit arrogant at times but the past few years he has mellowed out. I think he would be a very, very shrewd pick as VP. I still can't help but imagine him as the Demo's answer to puppeteer Dick Cheney though. God bless Joe Biden but everybody knows that he thinks he knows best.

drew writes at 11:19:32 02/01/08 - Comment #31153: I think Obama/Clark would be good. or Obama/Biden.

james writes at 10:27:16 02/01/08 - Comment #31146: I think Obama has great foreign relations experience. I mean, the man has lived abroad in a developing nation and he sits on the foreign relations committee. Though if he were to pick someone in that field RIchardson would be a good choice as Obama is weaker on the Latino vote, though his support there is growing. Defense experience would be ideal. Obama has been running on love and togetherness and junk. He needs someone a little more hawkish to not seem like Mike Gravel-lite. I would like to see Joe Biden or RIchardson as the pick.

Clinton needs someone who is not a Clinton. Republicans and Independents don't like her for being a Clinton and with center loving (despite a conservative record) McCain in the mix she needs someone with centrist appeal. But I don't like her so I haven't given any one a thought.

McCain needs to energize the GOP base. Huckabeee would get the Evangelical base but not the fiscal conservative base. Romney should serve that function but he has pissed off everyone else in his campaign by flopping on issues like a fish. McCain is damaged goods and ne needs someone to fix that, but I am not sure who is looking for work.

If Romeny gets the nomination... well, he can pick Jesus Christ as his running mate and he would still lose.

jim writes at 10:15:38 02/01/08 - Comment #31144: I am not sure if there is room for two Clintons and an Obama in the Whitehouse. Obama is more charismatic the Hillary - and she already has to contend with Bill Clinton's looming figure. And if it's Obama doing the picking, he really needs someone with foreign policy or military experience (Richardson again, Wes Clark maybe?), but maybe for unity's sake he'd pick Hillary. Tough call!

McCain and Guiliani both have sever problems with their party's base - McCain on campaign finance reform and immigration and Guiliani on social issues, and neither one is particularly religious, so the VP slot on the Republican side is almost definitely going to someone who loves Jesus and guns and who hates the gays and Mexicans. McCain & Guiliani together would keep too many voters at home.