Obama’s House Gives Censorship A Twirl
The White House got a kick in the pants this week from Constitution-wielding media networks. Fitting that at Halloween time our Executive branch would attempt one of the scariest violations of democratic rights I’ve seen in my lifetime. Obama’s had a problem with Fox News for some time now for what he feels is unfair treatment. By unfair, he means they report the news even if it’s critical of him. Love ’em or hate ‘em, if Fox News were making stuff up all the time, they wouldn’t be a part of the White House pool. 
The White House pool is a five network rotation of media outlets that share costs and responsibilities of covering White House happenings. Fox News has been a part of the pool since 1997. On Thursday, the White House tried to exclude Fox News from interviewing Obama’s pay czar Ken Feinberg. The decision to ban a major news network from the president’s administration is stunning, and I don’t mean stunning as in “look at Kate Beckinsale!” I’m talking stunning as in here’s a taser right to the gut of First Amendment rights.
Remember Thomas Jefferson’s take on the importance of the press? If you’ve never read this before, here you go.
“The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them.” — Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, 1787.
Well, here comes the good part of this story. The other members of the D.C. press put aside partisan obsession and decided that Jefferson was right and Obama’s White House is wrong. ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN refused to interview Feinberg if Fox was to be ostracized. The White House caved. How cool is that?
Did those other networks have ulterior motives? Perhaps. I’m sure they didn’t put on robes and chant prayers over the Bill of Rights, but they probably understood what a slippery slope this kind of censorship is. One of the staples of our way of life is a free and unfettered press. Imagine setting a precedent now that parts of the media could be shut out because they happen to report news items unfavorable to an executive. What happens in eight years when a
Republican is back in office? Will the liberal networks then be shut out? That’s just as scary.
I want every voice to have its say. A guy named Voltaire once said to let everyone speak, the garbage would fall away. It takes a serious, subversive effort to prop up lies as reality. Eventually the truth will blow through that house of cards like a purifying hurricane. It’s the same reason why embezzlers, cheaters, and corrupt politicians usually get caught. We need dissenting voices because sometimes they’re the ones who happen to possess the truth at the moment.
The scare was avoided two days ago, but this story ain’t done yet. We’ll see how the Sunday poli-knock shows like Meet The Press and friends handle this story. Based on historical trends, Republicans are already poised to win 2010 elections in Congress. More suppression like this Fox incident could really hurt the Democrats going forward. Obama isn’t helping anyone on his side by getting compared to Nixon on dealing with the press.
So to conclude, Obama’s White House tried to do something scary. Democracy proved to be bigger than the liberal-conservative rivalry. Kate Beckinsale is stunning.
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Life. Culture. Education.
Life as Pop Culture Professor Clay Morgan
In The Matrix, Morpheus tells Neo he can take the blue pill and go on believing whatever he wants to believe. Or he can take the red pill to stay in Wonderland and find out how deep the rabbit hole goes.
This is a red pill type site that provides information in an entertaining way. It’s about clear thinking and good writing. It’s about finding meaning amidst the absurd. It’s about humor and truth.
I’m a writer / speaker who teaches history and political courses at a couple of local colleges. Where is local, you say? Well, that would be Wonderland of course.
On topics ranging from pop culture to the meaning of life, my brain’s always poppin’. Take the red pill and unplug.
