The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

03 August 2007

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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Medved image: CNN

11 Comments:

  • How many blogs have you read on the internet where the editor always ends his post asking for a donation?

    Document for me two examples of this inappropriate conduct on blogs which have more than 1,000 daily visitors and I will permanently cease commenting on Maloney's blog - that is a promise.

    I anxiously await your responses.

    By Blogger elmonica, at 04 August, 2007 19:03  

  • President Bush made a major gaffe when he tried to push the Illegal Alien Amnesty Bill through Congress. By bringing the talk show hosts back again this year and talking to them off-the-record, he was able to smooth a few ruffled feathers.

    But this get-together won't help the Rhino's next year. They are facing some tough times in the primaries.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 05 August, 2007 00:20  

  • Ahh, Benson. As the only liberal who will wade into this issue, as many of my collegues and fellow posters on the left tend to agree with the knuckle draggers like you on this issue, let us define "amnesty":

    am·nes·ty(mn-st)
    n. pl. am·nes·ties
    A general pardon granted by a government, especially for political offenses.
    tr.v. am·nes·tied, am·nes·ty·ing, am·nes·ties
    To grant a general pardon to.

    Noun

    1. amnesty - a period during which offenders are exempt from punishment

    2. amnesty - a warrant granting release from punishment for an offense

    3. amnesty - the formal act of liberating someone

    Verb 1. amnesty - grant a pardon to (a group of people)

    The term "amnesty" is defined in both the noun and verb context as a waiver of punishment. On this point the right wing misinformation machine was very effective. So much so, in fact, you convinced my usually compassionate brethern on the left that the term "amnesty" applied to something that is wholly off the mark. Registration, fines, taxes, a "touch back" policy requiring the registrant to go home and come back via legal means, a requirement to move to the back of the line to receive formal acknowledement of residency and citizenship, the requirement to learn an unofficial foreign tongue (you call it English... I call it American. I speak both.), automatic deportation for committing a criminal offense after serving the sentence including your family members similarly registered (group punishment for an individual's crime... very Stalinesque, indeed). These extraordinary requirements imposed on people doing nothing more than trying to make a better life for their families doesn't even come close to the legal and general application of "amnesty" but your belchers of fear on the right did a great job in scaring the piss out of America. Congratulations, neanderthals!

    It's funny. Bush actually tries to get one thing right and prove the title "compassionate conservative" and the neoconservative manpigs did everything in their power to derail it. Now, they have forced the president to genuflect in order to hold on to the 22% of Americans who still support him (about equal to the collective audience of right wing radio) and reveal the nasty, paranoid, xenophobic undertone of America.

    I will agree with you on one point, Benson. It isn't likely to keep the White House from falling into Democratic hands. The only hope of the Republicans is that the Democrat who wins so botches the job in 3 1/2 years that they make America yearn for the simple minded, fascist leaning days of the Bush the Lesser regime. But, you keep ratcheting up the fear and maybe you'll hold the consensus on America on this one neoconservative viewpoint. Hey, a victory is a victory, right?

    Benson, you and Brian should be so proud! You've helped dumb down America in ways even the most inept public school teacher never could, including many of your intellectual betters on the left. You and your small cadre of talking point regurgators have effectively convinced America not to bother consulting a dictonary and to buy into xenophobic tripe worthy of Joseph Goebbels himself.

    Bully for you!

    By Blogger Dave Carroll, at 05 August, 2007 11:14  

  • The illegal aliens certainly have done a hell of a lot more than simply trying to make "a better life for their families".

    They are trying to make a better life off the backs of hard-working American taxpaying citizens.

    They broke the law. They insulted the people who are trying to enter the USA legally. They have stolen USA citizens' identities and social security numbers. They smuggle drugs into the USA. Their gangs beat up our citizens. Their financial demands for medical care have closed down hospitals in the southwest. The local governments cannot build new schools fast enough with American taxpayer dollars to meet the growth of the illegals.

    Amnesty? Yes, this is a perfect word to describe what the illegal aliens want.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 05 August, 2007 18:43  

  • Benson, so many times you sound like such a hystrionic little girl.

    I've listened to people whine about the jobs illegal aliens take from "hard working Americans" and yet I have yet to find a single person who has lost a job because of an illegal alien. Not one shred of documented proof. Let me try something that seems to be alien to the bedwetters out there. Do you know what kind of retribution would be brought down on an employer who hired an illegal alient rather a legal applicant? ICE would be contacted and that business would be swept down on in a heartbeat and the dime dropped would be from a pissed American who was denied a job. It doesn't happen. Ever.

    Because of the enforcement issues in southern Arizona, thousands of acres that are harvested in summer are rotting in the field because employers can't find Americans who want to do the job. Farmers have, in some cases, doubled the going wage with no takers. One farmer had to resort to flying in Eastern Europeans to bring in his harvest. Americans who showed up at double wages? Nil.

    So they broke the law. Benson, statistics show that if I follow you for five minutes on the highway that I will document at list six instances of traffic infractions for which you can get a ticket. That means that the average driver breaks the law every 50 seconds they drive. Should I, report your crimes to my local police officer for every instance of law breaking? Of course not. That would be facetious. Just as facetious as attempting to round up and deport every unlawful resident. As for stealing identities, no, they purchase identitites more often then not stolen by Americans from Americans and brokered on the open market. Blame the thief, Benson, just as much as you blame the recipient of stolen property. Drug smuggling? Sure, Benson. Americans are hopelessly hooked on drugs, be they Oxycontin like your spooning fantasy Rush, or the illegal kind that is grown or manufuactured her or smuggled from abroad. It's a huge market and it's growing everyday. Funny thing, Benson. Most drugs are brought into America not by moustachioed poncho wearers crossing the Southwestern desert by foot but in perfectly legal container ships bringing you America's other great addiction, cheaply made foreign electronics. Want to minimize the drug flow in America? Stop buying cheap imports. The less full containers coming into America, the less drugs reaching our streets. I'm tired of the urban myths of roving illegal gangs. Most gangs always have been and always will be of the homegrown domestic stripe. But, there you have something in common with the average Blood and Crip, Benson. They'd like the gangs with illegal aliens gone, too, because they compete for turf and resources. Look who's sporting a hoodie, bandana and throwing gang signs. It's MC Bedwetter Benson! Taxing the resources of medical facilities? Blame cuts in funds by states and the federal government to emergency and critical care facilities, Benson. Illegal aliens work jobs and many pay taxes and never file a single claim. That's free money in the system and it far offsets their usage of resources. Same with schools, Benson. Population growth nationwide, be it legal or illegal, is far outpacing infrastructure growth which is suffering because you think dead people should take every dime to the grave or will it to the likes of Paris Hilton. Also, and here's the 800 lbs gorilla in the room, because one of every ten dollars spent by our federal government is funding an illegal war. Yeah. Schools aren't getting built, hospital aren't getting properly funded and bridges aren't getting repaired because panty boys like you think fighting brown skin people over there will mean you won't have to confront brown skin people over here. Problem is, when you pick a fight with people who never did anything to you, you pisss off a lot of people who look and sound just like them... and they can't wait to give you an atomic wedgie with you pee stained g-string.

    Amnesty? No. Buy a freaking dictionary, Sally!

    By Blogger Dave Carroll, at 05 August, 2007 21:31  

  • Classic liberal response - blame everyone except the culprit - never think of holding the criminal accountable.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 06 August, 2007 12:58  

  • And a typical non-responsive answer from a hate and fearmonger. No solutions. Just accusations and the inability to realize that the words and talking points you regurgitate have absolutely nothing to do with the reality of the fact.

    By Blogger Dave Carroll, at 06 August, 2007 17:20  

  • Amnesty - The 1986 Immigration bill put forth by Ronald Reagan.

    Dave, you have done nothing more than attempt to try and re-define the word Amnesty. What the bill did was give amnesty, a pardon for criminal activities (which is what an illegal immigrant is: A criminal.)

    Let me spell this out for you:

    People who come over here, do not register and do not do the legal thing in regards to getting legal status violates US Law. That makes these illegal immigrants...criminals. Amnesty is a pardon from criminal activity, which is what President Bush wanted to do to 12 million criminal immigrants.

    Illegal = Criminal
    Amnesty = Pardon for Criminal Activities.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 06 August, 2007 20:13  

  • Yomi:
    Succinct and to the point!

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 06 August, 2007 21:41  

  • Dave Caroll, the topic of this blog is Endless Whining. Seems to be very appropriate after reading your postings.

    It's obvious that you are an admirer of Arthur Schopenhauer’s “38 Ways To Win An Argument”. You have done a decent job of implementing many of his techniques.

    You question the motive of a person making the argument instead of the argument itself (No. 35), you exaggerate the propositions stated by the other person (No. 1) , you misrepresent the other person’s words (No. 2) and you attack a straw man instead (No. 3).

    It appears that (No. 38) is your favorite technique:

    (No. 38) Become personal, insulting and rude as soon as you perceive that your opponent has the upper hand. In becoming personal, you leave the subject altogether, and turn your attack on the person, by using remarks of an offensive and spiteful character.

    Why is technique No.38 used so frequently in your postings? It is a popular, because it takes so little skill to put it into effect!

    WANT SOME EXAMPLES?

    Words of Wisdom used by Dave Caroll

    - knuckle draggers like you
    - neanderthals!
    - your belchers of fear on the right
    - neoconservative manpigs
    - nasty, paranoid, xenophobic undertone of America
    - simple minded, fascist leaning days
    - ratcheting up the fear
    - cadre of talking point regurgators
    - xenophobic tripe worthy of Joseph Goebbels himself
    - the bedwetters out there
    - It's MC Bedwetter Benson!
    - you pee stained g-string.
    - a typical non-responsive answer
    - a hate and fearmonger
    - talking points you regurgitate

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 06 August, 2007 21:48  

  • Benson: It's a basic knowledge of the vernacular of the common people, plus a little bit of common sense.

    The only person who looks like Joseph Goebbels, happens to be Dave Carroll. And if his "human rights" record has anything to say about it, I'd almost put him with "Ivan the Terrible".

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 07 August, 2007 04:36  

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