Thursday, March 17, 2011

House votes 228 to 192 to defund NPR


While Japan goes down in flames and stock markets around the world go down with it, Republicans in the US House of Representatives held an emergency session to address what they apparently consider our most pressing issue; government funding of NPR. Glenn Garvin argued in his op ed piece (Tri-City Herald, Thursday, 3/27/2011) that , “What has most of NPR’s congressional critics riled up is a series of scandals in the past few months that have laid bare the truth about the network’s steep leftward tilt.” Baloney!

Republicans have been trying to kill NPR ever since Richard Nixon decided it was too prone to telling the truth about banks and bankers and the politicians they bought. Garvin’s op ed piece is so full of hyperbole and unsubstantiated charges (e.g., NPR “loathes” Republicans) it’s surprising the Herald editorial board chose to publish it, especially in light of the questionable “investigative reporting” techniques used to attack NPR -- techniques that even Glenn Beck’s Theblaze.com found unsavory. For readers interested in a more balanced view of public media, take a look at William F. Fore’s piece, In Defense of Public Broadcasting in Religion On-Line.

In the meantime, the House voted 228 (all Republicans) to 192 (all Democrats and 7 Republicans) Thursday to defund NPR, thereby potentially slashing $60 million (.0004%) from the $1.4 trillion federal deficit. Whoopee!

Anthony Weiner (D-NY) congratulates his Republican colleagues in this funny video.

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