The War for the Media

Control of the media is essential to the Left's power. While the Internet has revolutionized how news and opinion is communicated, the struggle for control is spreading to other media. Fox News is constantly under attack by leftist groups and their allies at CNNCBSABCNBC&NYTimes.

The Coalition to Stomp and Squat over the Second Amendment carries this story by James Dao from the Nude Joke Times.

Here's a few graphs:

In a direct challenge to federal limits on political advocacy, the National Rifle Association plans to begin broadcasting a daily radio program on Thursday to provide news and pro-gun commentary to 400,000 listeners.

The NRA's only "direct challenge" is to the power-grubbing leaches of the NYTimes. Because an armed society is a free society.

The group says its jump into broadcasting with its program, "NRANews," means that it should be viewed as a media organization that does not have to abide by provisions of a sweeping campaign finance law from 2002. That law stops organizations from using unregulated "soft" money to buy political advertising that directly attacks or praises federal candidates in the weeks before federal elections and primaries.

Hmmm, sounds like an eeeeevil loophole big enough for the largest propagandist to take a flying leap through. Step forward, the anti-liberty, anti-capitalism, anti-conservative radio show: Prospering in America. Here's what happened to it in its first incarnation. Now it's back and more strident that ever. And still using union member's dues to finance it.

Does anyone believe that the NYTimes would ever bust the balls of these union propagandists and question their wacko conspiracy theories? If you do, Knuckles will hold your credit card for safekeeping. How much choice do you think union members have in financing this anti-American bullshit? Cripes, Hoffa must be turning in his end zone.

"If the N.R.A. is successful at this, we will definitely see other groups explore going down the same road," said Larry Noble, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics and former general counsel to the Federal Election Commission.

What Larry means by "other groups" are scary conservatives who bite the heads off orphaned kittens and who will now have a way of convincing stoopid Americans to join them.

Under the new campaign finance law, groups are no longer allowed to use soft money to buy radio or television spots that advocate or oppose candidates within 60 days of a general election or within 30 days of a primary or a national political convention.

There's gotta be a loophole around here someplace. Oh, hey! It's right here....

The law exempts media companies,

Hey, like the Intellectual Betters at the New York Times.

allowing them to report on, analyze and even endorse federal candidates at any time.

Nyaa. Nyaa. Nyaa.

(Wayne LaPierre) said the program would probably not endorse a presidential candidate but would examine records on gun issues.

(sigh) Wrong answer, Wayne. The correct response is "Who the fuck are you?" Then ask the reporter what kind of loads he prefers.

Some experts in campaign finance said if the program was regularly broadcast on a commercial network and if the association did not pay for the time, it would have a strong chance of withstanding legal challenges.

This goes back to the issue of the union sponsored Prospering In America. It's all paid time. And political as hell. So where's the self-righteous weenie from the NYTimes? Oh, right, he prefers not to provoke the union goons into pulling his pants off over his grotesquely under-educated head.

Bob Bauer, a Democratic expert on election law,

By "expert," NYTimes means "lawyer," and by "lawyer," we mean "someone who does not contribute one goddamn thing to society but lies to acquire the property of those who do."

...said the claim to a media exemption would almost certainly be challenged.

For "challenged" read "squashed and silenced." Yes, yes, yes, Knuckles is aware that it was Bush who signed McCain-Feingold's "Feed-The-First-Amendment-Into-The-Shredder" Act. But Bush has never even hinted at using it to silence his political opponents. Because if he ever tried we wouldn't be hearing of anything else: from either liberals or conservatives. And if Bush were a Democrat, conservatives would still object but the Democrats would take the opportunity to shut up.

"It smells like, and it looks like, a complete circumvention of the law," Mr. Bauer said.

No, Mr. Bauer, it smells like your skid-marked legal briefs chance to fulfill a key mission of your law firm: "Recognize that profitability and financial stability are essential to our future success." And while Knuckles heartily approves of such noble ends, why is it that every leftist parasite lawyer has to actively work to prevent everyone else the means of doing likewise?

He argued that the real objective might be to goad campaign watchdogs or gun-control groups to challenge N.R.A. actions. Such a challenge could provide a way for the association to attack the campaign finance law itself, Mr. Bauer said.

Horrors! Attacking the law itself? Why, this is unheard of on the left.

If any of Knuckles' stalwart readers are in the vicinity of the Perkins and Coie law firm, 607 Fourteenth Street N.W., Washington, DC, and you see this worthless dink, command him to Assume the Position™ and goad him good with your knee into his nuts. The guy might look and act like a complete tool, but he may finally see his role as a statist cocksucker and repent. Please absolve him if he does. But he will need to perform community service for Kim du Toit collecting spent casings and washing the Mrs' SUV.

A recent (NRA radio) program featured the association's senior correspondent, Jeff Johnson, reading reports on a car bombing in Iraq and a gun-control law in Ohio. That was followed by an interview with Mr. LaPierre in which he described Senator John Kerry as "the quintessential two-faced candidate."

Translation: Ewwww, NRA is pro-anti-terror! And of course the ever-present scare quotes when referring to conservative opinions.

After the program, Mr. LaPierre dismissed critics who contend that the program will be nothing more than propaganda.

LaPierre's correct response would be to say "SO THE FUCK WHAT?" Then he would ask his assistant to fetch his scariest assault rifle because he needs to point out the propaganda in the reporter's copy of the Times sticking out of his back pocket. That would end the interview nicely.

As far as leftist control media goes, (and it goes in a long way) just keep reading and writing and fighting the battles of opportunity. The left didn't gain control overnight and neither will we. But we can return sanity to our part of the world if we just don't quit.

Ahh, but you already knew that.