The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

31 May 2007

NPR News, Huffington Post, GOP

NPR = GOP

Just When You Think You've Heard It All...







Hear the one about the right- wing takeover of NPR News? Too bad this one isn't meant as a joke, at least not intentionally.

Here at the Radio Equalizer, we're keeping an eye on our Huffington Post friends so you don't have to. That's quite a community service, don't you think?

Just in case you were wondering what passes for political discourse over there these days, this piece by Tony Hendra pretty much says it all:


National RePUBLICan Radio 2.0: NPPRR (National Pentagon Press Release Radio)


One thing you can say for our wondrous New-Broom-of-the-System Democrats. They may have folded like a two-dollar suitcase faced with the Caligula in the White House, but at least they got rid of Don Imus.

Well done Democrats!

Not to exhume the Imus issue. But whatever you thought of Imus there was one great thing about having him on the air: you had somewhere to escape from the appalling Steve Inskeep.

Inskreep (sorry can't resist), he who hath never met a progressive he didn't feel compelled to patronize or contradict, replaced the much lamented Bob Edwards a year and a half ago as Morning Edition's co-host, where his smug, condescending drone has become a daily reminder of the Republican drive to garrote the last independent voice in national news.

[excerpted]

But it's not really Inskreep I'm gunning for; rather an insidious phenomenon that's been occurring on his watch. As soon as the Dems took control in January, Morning Edition began to include an almost daily diet of 'behind-the-scenes' Iraq-related news stories (Feith-based perhaps?) so pro-war they made you wonder if there wasn't a Pentagon PR flack embedded with this particular NPR unit.

This is only getting worse. The 'stories' range all over the subject map from the logistical concerns of non-combat units (medical, infrastructure rebuilding, even chaplains) to heartwarming home-front stuff to the trials and lifestyles of Iraqis who work with US forces. There's nothing theoretically wrong with such topics, but the stories all have the pre-packaged uncritical feel of shameless plants. And two relentless messages: A. Iraq is a war like any other, dirty yes, but a just war, justified and justifiable; B. things are going much better than you think, if you'll just stop listening to those lefty naysayers.

Recently, alas, the disease seems to have spread to other NPR news shows I've listened to for years like the stalwart All Things Considered. Predictably on Memorial Day weekend, it went critical. Some coverage was as it should be: memorials of the men and women -- usually agonizingly young -- whose precious lives have been squandered by our latter-day Caligula and the moral sewage in Congress who enable him.

But some coverage did not memorialize. Notably the one place you'd never expect to encounter the plague: This American Life. On Saturday, my favorite NPR show ran what amounted to a 30-minute infomercial for something called the Center for Lessons Learned, a Kansas-based US-military outfit whose mission is to learn from previous conflicts how to 'do the job' better in this one.

[excerpted]


Now it's entirely possible that Cheryl Halpern (CPB's odious rightwing chairman and the likely source of all this pro-war drivel) stationed a Blackwater operative in the studio while Ira was recording, with a pair of high-voltage electrodes millimeters from his testicles. I certainly hope that's the explanation. But you have to wonder which NPR icon will succumb next


So how did these shadowy Republicans manage to take over NPR without anyone on the right noticing? Who knew conservatives could be so cunning? If only the media wars could be won that easily.


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33 Comments:

  • Guess it's obvious what radio outlet HuffPo listens to--PACIFICA--if they claim NPR has some Republican tendencies--which I would would extremely doubt.

    Reminds me of when I was at UCONN-I-STAN over 10 years ago. I was in some summer classes while also working for an NPR station, WEDW 88.5 in news/production.

    I told my media teacher Paul Jalbert about working for an NPR station--and I think I remember him saying they leaned Republican. Then again, being he's from Canada and spoke with a slight French accent, he was a more vichy socialist.

    He also said there is no liberal bias in the media. Yes, folks, I was indoctrinated by a WBAI-listening fool for a "professor."

    BTB, any and all news production for CT Public Radio has been done out of Hartford since 2000. The Stamford station is still on the air, but it's just relaying the signal of WPKT Hartford to a tower in the Shippan region of Stamford.

    By Blogger The Real Bob Anthony, at 31 May, 2007 06:02  

  • ROTFLOL!!!!

    What a bunch of Maroons!!!

    This is more evidence that Liberalism is a mental disease.

    Bob, thanks for reminding me once again of my days working at Pitney Bowes in the days before they built a new Stamford Hurricane Barrier that PB calls its world headqusrters.

    Next thing the leftwingnuts will be saying is that Tiny Markle was a Republican.

    By Blogger PCD, at 31 May, 2007 09:02  

  • PCD is projecting

    America understands which ideology is a mental disorder

    conservatism has been proven to be a mental disorder by real doctors, not a former young boy lover called michael Savage, teal science has proven CONS to be MENTALLY SICK

    and one has to be mentally sick to theing a media owned by big business is liberal

    your projecting again..... Michael Savage won't save you now pillow biter

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 31 May, 2007 09:21  

  • "your projecting again..... Michael Savage won't save you now pillow biter"

    it's worse, Fudgepacker Dan is a Hugh Hewitt syncophant!

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 31 May, 2007 09:59  

  • Hash,

    Get this straight. Hugh is my friend. I used to work for his producer on another show. Both men are honorable and honest gentlemen, whicn is much more than I can say about you.

    By Blogger PCD, at 31 May, 2007 13:38  

  • PCD
    special under the console friends, I suppose. No such thing as an honorable neo-con, all scum, all Anti-american scum

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 31 May, 2007 13:50  

  • "Bob, thanks for reminding me once again of my days working at Pitney Bowes in the days before they built a new Stamford Hurricane Barrier that PB calls its world headqusrters."


    PCD, tell me about it! Ironically, since you mentioned PB, two years after being fired from radio, I had gotten a job at Pitney Bowes, to leave about a year later. I worked somewhere on the campus, but not the World HQ.

    By Blogger The Real Bob Anthony, at 31 May, 2007 18:14  

  • "America understands which ideology is a mental disorder"

    Yes they do, M.O.P, as do the Dems. And that is why they [the Dems] had to masquarade as conservatives to get elected. The "republican"[LOL] MSM didn't even breath a word about Murtha being an "unindicted co-conspiritor" to influence peddling until after the election was over. They also didn't breath a word about Keith Elison's Islamfascist terrorist friends.

    What contortion artists.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 31 May, 2007 19:13  

  • "Both men are honorable and honest gentlemen..."

    Hughie's a "Fudge-sickle"!!!

    Tell America about the Rapture, boys!

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 31 May, 2007 19:34  

  • FIFTH COLUMN ACCUSED OF PATRIOTISM
    (to help shield them from scrutiny-it's a disinformation trick they often use)

    Anyone ever hear of "The Great Atlantic Radio Conspiracy?" It ran on NPR from 1972 to 1992. That's twenty years of Comunist propaganda paid for by taxpayers and gullible donors.

    What have they been doing since? Infiltrating Universities, always the hotbeds of radicalism. They are warping young minds into working toward a one-world utopian socialist government, one hemisphere at a time.

    These NPR guys are as Republican as their good buddies, Noam Chomsky and Fidel Castro.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 31 May, 2007 20:27  

  • What's wrong with Noam Chomsky?

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 31 May, 2007 21:18  

  • "What's wrong with Noam Chomsky?" -- stoner

    What isn't?

    He's a deceptive and delusional Marxist nutcase.

    So glad you asked.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 31 May, 2007 22:21  

  • And you're using David Horowitz's rantings to back your assertion up.

    David Horowitz.

    No further questions...

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 31 May, 2007 22:30  

  • LEFTIST "SCHOLARSHIP" IN ACTION

    "And you're using David Horowitz's rantings[sic] to back your assertion up." -- druginducedcoma

    You bet I am. He's very credible. But of course since you can't attack him in substance you do so a-la-Chomsky, with a witlessism typical of the Leftist style of "debate." (the equivalent of. . . . "Shut up, just shut up! Jerk." or "You're wrong, 'cause I said so! [boy I sure told him!]")

    They always pick what they want people to think is the weakest link (even though it's often the strongest, and so most dangerous for them) and try to dismiss it out of hand. The less they have to deal with legitimate criticism, the better for them. Why should they ever consider the merits of the argument based on actual facts when they have their rudeness to conceal (so they think) their ignorance?

    I wonder if any of them have ever felt embarrassed at how comic they appear?

    NOTE: I used Horowitz, AND TWO OTHERS, one of whom said he does "not have a lot of use for Horowitz". But, as you can see, stoner just smoked right by those.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 31 May, 2007 23:42  

  • ABOUT THE ARTICLE ITSELF

    I have no idea what NPR (which I fondly refer to as "National Propaganda Radio" is doing, because I haven't listened to it in years. But if what Tony Hendra said is true I might, . . . or not. I don't trust them at all, and so I find it very difficult to believe they have changed.

    I don't know how closely NPR and Public Television work together, but just before the election I saw a piece on my loco, uh, local PBS station about why the Republicans were so bad (destroying the world, and all that). Very disgusting stuff, especially since it was all innuendo and a lot of it was false. And what little was true was no more true for Reps than for Dems.

    So, if NPR's sib is that bad, it's hard to imagine that she has magically overcome her wretched past without serious counseling and heavy medication (the legal kind).

    Still, if what he says holds up, it would be a very positive development.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 01 June, 2007 00:30  

  • Let's see. David Horowitz now admits that he had extremely bad judgment to be a leftist back in the 60's.

    Why on earth would you follow him now? Why would you hitch your wagon to a guy who admits that he had it all wrong before?

    He was a jerk when he was a leftist. Now he's a worse jerk now that he's a rightist.

    By Blogger John, at 01 June, 2007 01:02  

  • Since the republicans now own it, why don't they just shut it down.

    By Blogger rich glasgow, at 01 June, 2007 01:11  

  • "You bet I am. He's very credible."

    Really? To whom is he credible?

    "But of course since you can't attack him in substance you do so a-la-Chomsky, with a witlessism typical of the Leftist style of "debate."

    Well, no...actually, that's what YOU did. I asked, "What's wrong with Noam Chomsky", and you responded with characteristic arrogance by invoking David Horowitz, following it up with a link to a sensationalist neocon scandal sheet that isn't even taken seriously in REPUBLICAN circles, and actually thought your HOMEWORK was over!!

    Now, I was mindful to show my disapproval of your source, while responding in a way that would encourage readers to find out on their OWN what Horowitz was about, and why he was a curious choice to buttress your nonexistent argument (LEFTISTS!! BAH!!)

    My guess is, you showed the laziness and slackness of mind so characteristic of an American neocon, used to coasting on a bandwagon they have no real understanding of, by selecting the first Googlable critic of Chomsky with a distinctly Semitic name.

    Or, you simply picked what, to you, is a valid rebuttal and a worthy author to represent it for you, which simply exposes you as either a useful idiot or a deliberate operative for a particular agenda that has absolutely NOTHING to offer this nation in general, or Americans in particular.

    What a simpleton you are (and autistic, too!)

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 01 June, 2007 01:11  

  • "Let's see. David Horowitz now admits that he had extremely bad judgment to be a leftist back in the 60's."

    No, metro, he was associated with real-life terrorism (the PANTHERS)..

    "Bad judgement" would have been frolicking in the mud at Woodstock, or owning those frayed flares that never saw Mamaleh's Maytag.

    Being hooked up with terror organizations and murderers is a little more worrisome (and there's no reason to believe his affiliations with today's versions of murderers in fashion is any less ominous...)

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 01 June, 2007 01:16  

  • "Still, if what he says holds up, it would be a very positive development"

    Don't be so fast.

    When you're locked up in internment camp like you belong, you may find yourself in sudden need of entertainment...

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 01 June, 2007 01:21  

  • ONE LAST BITE OUT OF CHOMSKY

    I was going to try to find several refs, with as many from "Liberals" as possible, but the material by Paul Bogdanor is devistating. After reading only part of it, I don't have the stomac for to go much further. He clearly documents some of Chomsky's many lies along with a comparison of what Chomsky alleges with the actual facts.

    Just one excerpt tells an awful lot:
    "The Lie: “Also relevant is the history of collectivization in China, which, as compared with the Soviet Union, shows a much higher reliance on persuasion and mutual aid than on force and terror, and appears to have been more successful.”3

    The Truth: The communists officially declared that they had killed 800,000 in the first few years of their dictatorship; unofficially, they admitted to the murder of 2 million in just a single year.4 China’s forced collectivization culminated in the Great Leap Forward, the worst catastrophe in human history, in which 30 million died.


    Chomsky is a pathological liar.

    Oh, all right. I know they will dismiss the facts above just because the author is Conservative, and they won't bother reading this next , even though it is by a "Liberal." But just for completenss, it's good for sane thoughtful people to know about.

    g'night

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 01 June, 2007 02:20  

  • WHAT'S THE QUESTION AGAIN, TEACHER?

    A Leftist asks,
    "Why on earth would you follow him (Horowitz) now? Why would you hitch your wagon to a guy who admits that he had it all wrong before?"

    The real question that needs to be asked is,
    "why would you follow a demented clown like Chomsky now, when he's been wrong all along, and won't even admit it?"

    Everyone makes mistakes. Only a fool keeps making the same ones over and over again.

    And I don't "follow" Horowitz, any more than I "follow" anyone else. When I find someone trustworthy, then I rely on their judgement, but still try to verify what I'm not comfortable with.

    If your lives seem meaningless unless you are following a "charismatic leader" you run the risk that one day the koolaid that's served to you by that "leader" might be the last you ever drink.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 01 June, 2007 02:38  

  • IDIOT'S DELIGHT

    If it weren't for Horowitz a lot of the bad things about the Panthers wouldn't be known. He was fooled by them into believing they had abandoned violence. Like many of the Lefties here, the Panthers lied.

    If you want to know who REALLY was friends with the Panthers, . . . read this, or this!

    (that should get the hive stirrd up)

    The Left slanders someone based on Leftist lies, and refuses to believe what can be verified as historical fact if they only bothered.

    I hope they enjoy their koolaid.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 01 June, 2007 03:30  

  • ytba:

    You gave me another bad reminder of being at UCONN-I-STAN--that socialist fool Chomsky. And he also is a hypocrite like the left. I think you can find it out in "Do As I Say, Not As I Do--profiles in liberal hypocrisy"

    By Blogger The Real Bob Anthony, at 01 June, 2007 06:30  

  • YTBA

    you are disqualified from being taken seriously, you stated Hilerwas a socialist, once yu commit such blatent right weing hackery, your views are invalidadted, and you simply laugh at you

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 01 June, 2007 09:33  

  • "but still try to verify what I'm not comfortable with..."

    Yet, nevertheless running around spreading the lies when verification proves impossible....

    Speaking of which, Steve Malzberg posts on Newsmax, which should tell any American all they need to know (yet cannot speak freely about...)

    Is there anyone who can explain, without relying on anyone who thinks they are a second incarnation of the (blessedly dead) Meir Kahane, what specifically they find so offensive about Noam Chomsky in an AMERICAN context?

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 01 June, 2007 10:27  

  • "You gave me another bad reminder of being at UCONN-I-STAN--that socialist fool Chomsky."

    Uh, did your Strattera go down the wrong way this morning?

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 01 June, 2007 10:28  

  • btw Hendra used to be a bigwig at National Lampoon. I read his book GOING TOO FAR years ago, about "boomer humor". The Lampoon used to feature writers ranging in political
    thought from Yippee founder Paul
    "Zen Bastard" Krassner to conservative P.J. ("Give War A
    Chance") O'Rourke (Wikipedia:
    "He confesses that during his student days he was a left-leaning hippie, but that in the 1970s his political views underwent a complete volte-face. He emerged as a political observer and humorist with definite libertarian, sometimes conservative, and decidedly anti-leftist viewpoints.")

    More recently the Lampoon re-emerged on a website and they
    launched a spoof of Move On
    called MoveOnAlready.

    By Blogger raccoonradio, at 01 June, 2007 10:51  

  • Bob,

    I worked in the main plant on Wheeler Dr. in DP with another gentleman by the name of Anthony. Any relation?

    By Blogger PCD, at 01 June, 2007 11:03  

  • Fudgie....you WORKED?????

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 01 June, 2007 11:40  

  • "Bob,

    I worked in the main plant on Wheeler Dr. in DP with another gentleman by the name of Anthony. Any relation?"


    Afraid not, PCD. But wouldn't you know Wheeler Drive was where I worked--Facility Support was my position.


    And to hash, WHY DON'T I GIVE YOU A BIG SHOT WHERE THE DAMN SUN DON'T SHINE! YOU AMERICA HATING ASSHOLES ARE REALLY MAKING IT TOUGH FOR ME TO THINK AND CONCENTRATE! AND THAT CRACK ABOUT MEDS--I TAKE ZOLOFT YA QUACK!

    Helps deal with anxiety and such living with Autism.

    By Blogger The Real Bob Anthony, at 01 June, 2007 18:26  

  • "Facility Support was my position."

    In plain English, he polished floors and emptied wastebaskets (who's gonna put Forrest Gump on the PHONES??)

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 01 June, 2007 18:29  

  • MADAM HILLARITY, COMMISSAR WANNABE

    For those who may not be aware of it, Hillarity not only is a socialist, but she is a particularly dedicated one, to boot.

    After all, one of her heroes/mentors was Saul Alinsky, a communist.

    Hurry, join the loonbat storm of protest against me, building now.

    "booo"
    "He's wrong!" "Don't believe him!"
    "Hillary's ok, so he must be wrong. Right?"
    "Jerk"
    "I'VE GOT YOUR 'REFERENCES' RIGHT HERE" (makes obscene gesture - whispers to pothead: "psst, what's a "reference?")

    . . . and all the other "well reasoned" arguments they have.

    LOLOLOL

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 04 June, 2007 01:38  

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