Conservative Talk Radio Hosts Meet At White House, Rush Limbaugh

ENDLESS WHINING

Over Talk Radio White House Visit, Why The Outrage?







After three days of whining about a talk radio meeting at the White House with President Bush, followed by a private visit with Rush Limbaugh, could someone please explain why the left is so ticked off?

Between blogs and liberal talk radio, they haven't stopped griping about it since Thursday. Fargo- based "progressive" Ed Schultz was so mad during Friday's show, for instance, we could see his red face right though our speakers.

From David Hinckley at the New York Daily News, here's background on the story:

For the second year in a row, President Bush called some of his closest radio friends to the White House for an off-the-record briefing and discussion.

Mark Levin and Sean Hannity of WABC (770 AM) were among the 10 conservative talk-radio hosts who met with Bush in the West Wing yesterday, according to Talkers magazine.

The others were Glenn Beck, Neal Boortz, Hugh Hewitt, Scott Hennen, Bill Bennett, Michael Medved (below left), Lars Larsen (right image) and Janet Parshall.

Bush met with five hosts last fall, including Boortz, Hannity and Medved, Talkers noted, "to discuss issues and gauge the conservative talk-radio audience's feelings about issues and policies."

None of the hosts told their audiences about the meeting prior to its occurrence.

Nine hosts had their picture taken outside the White House - all except Hannity, who Talkers said arrived separately.

Look at it this way: under a President Obama, Hillary, or (God Help Us) Edwards, is there any reason why libtalkers wouldn't expect to receive their own invitation? Doesn't the sitting President have the right to meet with whomever he chooses?

So what is the real problem here? We've seen the snide comments on how the 10 conservative hosts were there to pick up stacks of talking points. But some of these talkers have been vocal critics of the Bush Administration.

In fact, it's hard to find one still interested in what the GOP has to say on nearly any subject, the division is now so great.

By contrast, liberal radio is almost entirely free of independent thought. "Progressive" talkers don't go to the bathroom without permission from the DNC. And at least one (if not several) is on the air because of financial support from the party.


As to what purpose such an event serves for the President, it's not completely clear. It does provide an opportunity for Bush to present his side of the story directly to opinion- shapers, entirely free of media bias.

At the same time, the guest list is again a bit odd, with several hosts in the mix that have small audiences. And nine out of 10 were syndicated talkers.

Why not invite a handful of the biggest local hosts from major markets, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and New York? They have a bigger reach than all but the largest nationally- distributed programs. Let's hope Talkers Magazine isn't in charge of the guest list.

In the end, however, that such events are now taking place proves that talk radio has finally arrived and is generating the respect it has long deserved.


FOR Boston- area talk radio updates, see our other site. The latest: the debate over who leaked Howie Carr's salary info (and why) to the Boston Globe heats up in our comments section.


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Technorati tags: talk radio white house talk radio visit limbaugh white house visit rush limbaugh lars larson michael medved sean hannity mark levin bush talk radio

Medved image: CNN