It has become abundantly clear that far too many broadcasters are not using the people's airwaves, which they lease from us in a manner that serves the public's best interest. The extreme polarization, rampant misinformation and widespread general ignorance is a direct result of too many irresponsible broadcasters using their microphones to spread inflammatory lies and half truths for the sake of personal aggrandizement, ideological advantage and corporate profit. The rise of recent "Tea-Bagger" threats and extremist violence adds the weight of a threatened civil peace to all the other arguments that the next major reform we need to undertake is media reform. We can't afford to ignore the alternate and false reality created by hate radio and corporate spun TV news any longer. The time to act for media reform is now.

Ed

Zero G.,

Re: "…but always, the Democrats respond by looking forward, not backward. Never prosecuting, never responding…"

I've felt frustration over this SO many times while watching politics throughout my adult life. It is like watching the Titanic approach the iceberg and not being able to shout warnings loud enough from here in the hinterlands.

I have a dental practice. It involves a toothbrush and floss.

I was listening to Mike Papantonio over the weekend talking about how rabid anti-government outfits like the Sovereign Citizens movement appear to be regaining some momentum in this country. “Sovereign Citizens” think that they are “organic” to the land (Native Americans might have a different view), and thus government entities have no control over them, or the power to tax them. They believe that the 14th Amendment somehow “tricked” the “organic”—i.e. white—people into becoming citizens of the all-powerful entity that calls itself the “United States,” but in “reality” this was a purely “voluntary” construct, and people could merely “vacate” this citizenship on whim. Since the amendment conferred citizenship on blacks, only blacks (who are “organic”) should be obliged to pay taxes in return for rights that were given to them by federally-created construct. Like Timothy McVeigh’s sidekick Terry Nichols believed, since they had been “tricked” into signing “contracts” that obliged them to be regulated by “pernicious” laws, it was “organic” (i.e. white) people’s “duty” to resist the evil government. Joe Stark, who flew a plane into a North Austin office building recently, would have been a good fit in this grouping. Papantonio noted that since many of these Sovereign Citizens have managed to run afoul of the law for engaging in “paper terrorism,” it was odd how they didn’t seem to mind enjoying their new tax-payer paid home—jail.

Meanwhile, the tea party Brown Shirts didn’t waste much time in voicing their displeasure at the passage of the health care reform, engaging in their own pathetic little Kristallnacht antics, breaking windows at a few Democratic headquarters, and making death threats against representatives who voted for the bill. Sarah Palin did her part by calling on the troops not to “retreat” but to “reload,” directing them to a website with a map marked with bulls-eyes “targeting” certain Democratic lawmakers. Real subtle stuff. Pat Buchanan got all red-faced when confronted with the ugly truth, but all he could do yesterday was complain that Bob Letcher must have been “dragged” to that tea party event in Ohio to expressly for the purpose of embarrassing him. Meanwhile, Mike Vanderboegh, militia man and racist nativist, has managed to get himself back in the news for a few minutes, declaring that he is preparing for the “next civil war.” With 24 percent of all Republicans who believe that Barack Obama may be the “Anti-Christ,” the loonies are out in force.

Are Republicans and Teabaggers now a threat to America?

They've been a threat since before the crash of '29, since the coup attempt against FDR...,

...but always, the Democrats respond by looking forward, not backward. Never prosecuting, never responding...

14 state AGs draw spotlight with suit.

Rachel Maddow video clip #4:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#3601...

Neugebauer Campaigns on Outburst, Belying Apology

Rachel Maddow video clip #2:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#3601...

Regarding the debate surrounding any chances of getting the government to serve the people:

There isn't much honest conversation in D.C. We should be changing the system that allows so many sociopaths to converge on and infest our government. It's not a debate, it's a race between schooners full of lies with sails made of money.

Thom,
You brought up the ‘breaking’ Obama comment. That did strike me as either racist or at least personally dis-respectful but to me it was just one of the long line of such bits of code that have floated to the surface.
They don't all define the official policy of the GOP but they indicate some of the motivators in the background.
Newt's caution to the Dems that this could be as big a disaster as the Civil Rights legislation was priceless.

Aside from the 'Baby Killer' (not at the president) did I not hear Boos when Nancy Pelosi thanked President Obama for his work on the bill?

In the same way that the Republicans delight in using the term Democrat party, I have heard many references to ‘Mr. Obama’ instead of President Obama. These aren’t even the pitiful screamers on the radio that are still chanting Barrack Hussein Obama. These are the semi-mainstream broadcasters and of course the Republican politicains.

Is this some reference to ‘Mr. Smith goes to Washington’ or just further denial of the 2008 election results? Was George W. Bush often refered to as ‘Mr’.?

You know your ‘code’. I think their ‘Obamageddon’ talk might be more of the faithful finally realizing that they LOST in 2008. Unfortunately that leads to ‘I’m cleaning my gun’ comments and worse.
Rather than the end of the world, I think this may be the end of the GOP and when the nut-jobs stop believing Hannity, Limbaugh and Beck, that there is even hope of regaining power they believe they are entitled to, a lot of them may come off the rails.

Sad to say and I hope not but these may be the most dangerous of times.
Congratulations on your progress, keep it up.
(What’s next? You are running out of time to get some control over your voting system before the fall.)

Cheers,
Rick in Canadia

'Sorry - 'guess it was just 4 video clips...

14 state AGs draw spotlight with suit.

Rachel Maddow video clip #4:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#3601...