June 16, 2009 8:38 AM
Obama, ABC merge - "news" to push Obama's healthcare plan
From the Drudge Report:There are other ideas out there for getting currently uninsured people coverage - plans that don't involve government control.
ABC TURNS PROGRAMMING OVER TO OBAMA; NEWS TO BE ANCHORED FROM INSIDE WHITE HOUSE
Tue Jun 16 2009 08:45:10 ET
On the night of June 24, the media and government become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care -- a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm!
Highlights on the agenda:
ABCNEWS anchor Charlie Gibson will deliver WORLD NEWS from the Blue Room of the White House.
The network plans a primetime special -- 'Prescription for America' -- originating from the East Room, exclude opposing voices on the debate.
MORE
Late Monday night, Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Ken McKay fired off a complaint to the head of ABCNEWS:
Dear Mr. Westin:
As the national debate on health care reform intensifies, I am deeply concerned and disappointed with ABC's astonishing decision to exclude opposing voices on this critical issue on June 24, 2009. Next Wednesday, ABC News will air a primetime health care reform �town hall� at the White House with President Barack Obama. In addition, according to an ABC News report, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, WORLD NEWS, NIGHTLINE and ABC�s web news �will all feature special programming on the president�s health care agenda.� This does not include the promotion, over the next 9 days, the president�s health care agenda will receive on ABC News programming.
Today, the Republican National Committee requested an opportunity to add our Party's views to those of the President's to ensure that all sides of the health care reform debate are presented. Our request was rejected. I believe that the President should have the ability to speak directly to the America people. However, I find it outrageous that ABC would prohibit our Party's opposing thoughts and ideas from this national debate, which affects millions of ABC viewers.
In the absence of opposition, I am concerned this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda. If that is the case, this primetime infomercial should be paid for out of the DNC coffers. President Obama does not hold a monopoly on health care reform ideas or on free airtime. The President has stated time and time again that he wants a bipartisan debate. Therefore, the Republican Party should be included in this primetime event, or the DNC should pay for your airtime.
Respectfully,
Ken McKay
Republican National Committee
Chief of Staff
But obviously, the ObamaMedia outlets think if they make enough noise, we will never hear them.
This is chilling. Who would have believed how quickly we could become a Banana Republic with so much power invested in a despotic personality.
Posted in Obama Nation | Permalink
Comments
As someone who is uninsured, I am not OK with this. I think of success as the day my husband and I overcome our financial troubles, recover from unwise decisions and can obtain private insurance for us and our little one.
Obama is pandering to people like me and it's not gonna work. We may be "financially disadvantaged" but I feel like we'd be committing ourselves to true poverty to sign up for his tricks.
Posted by: Catherine R. | June 16, 2009 9:43 AM
One name keeps coming up in my head every time I hear about our president usurping more airtime for unnecessary addresses to the American people:
HUGO CHAVEZ!
How long until our president spends more time airing talk show coverage and less time actually governing?
Posted by: Sarah | June 16, 2009 10:09 AM
Ok, so can we now officially stop pretending that the media isn't the propaganda arm of the DNC?
Unreal.
Posted by: lauren | June 16, 2009 10:23 AM
I can't even find words for this. I'm so sad for this nation that once held such promise and blessing. Hold on. Here we go...
Posted by: Marian | June 16, 2009 12:30 PM
I am horrified by this. Simply horrified. This is a "no, no, no". We have a free press, not one controlled by the gov't. Journalism 101....
I shudder to think what's next.
Posted by: Shelly | June 16, 2009 1:09 PM
We are headed back to Canada for the summer. Fingers crossed we don't get sick as we have no insurance there. In Canada it is illegal to have private health care coverage. It started out as Canada offering a government option (just like Obama proposes), but soon private insurance was completely outlawed. I could go on and on about why you do not want government controlled healthcare here. I hope eveyone stays on the ball here and keeps tabs on what Obama is going to try to do over the summer while most people are distracted by holidays.
I invite anyone who wants a preview of Obama's plan to go north for treatment. The picture will become crystal clear in no time.
Posted by: kelly | June 16, 2009 1:13 PM
This is nuts! I just returned from a trip to DC and from what I read about what the President's job is supposed to actually be, this President (and, truth be told, he's not the only one) is way overstepping his job description.
But the problem here is not the President - it's a media that claims to be presenting facts while only presenting one side of an argument. How is that bringing unity?
At the Capitol, I watched a House vote on something, I think related to health care. As I watched the votes come in and every Republican voting against it and nearly all the Democrats voting for it (when I walked away, nine Dems had voted against whatever it was), my only thought was, "STOP! Whatever you're voting about, just... STOP! Clearly there is no consensus if there are NO Republicans, not even the RINOs, voting for this. JUST STOP DOING THINGS!"
I have to admit, it was a little depressing reading about this great nation, knowing that in just the next room over, its destruction was (and is) being carried out.
Posted by: Lucy | June 18, 2009 10:09 PM
What can the average American do to stop this takeover of our country?
Posted by: Mary | June 23, 2009 10:11 PM
