Sen. Jim DeMint's latest target: NPR, over Juan Williams firing

Forums: Politics, Fox News, Journalism, Freedom Of Speech, Npr Hates Blacks
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I don't agree with NPR firing Juan Williams. I understand they were getting complaints from the membership about Williams' working for FOX News? I think his firing had nothing to do with his Muslim comments, and has more to do with his FOX connection. The Muslim comments were just an excuse. I would much prefer that NPR had said the truth for their reason.

Juan Williams has now hit the jackpot. I'm told that FOX is paying him $2M for his services.

For decades, Conservatives have been trying to kill PBS/NPR because it is devoted to telling the truth. Now they have an excuse to pursue their goal. So if you are not donating to PBS/NPR, now is the time to do it.

BBB

October 22, 2010
Sen. Jim DeMint's latest target: NPR, over Juan Williams firing
By James Rosen | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Sen. Jim DeMint vowed Friday to introduce legislation to eliminate $430 million in federal funding of public broadcasting in response to National Public Radio's firing of Juan Williams over the news analyst's remarks about Muslims.

The South Carolina Republican, whose hard-line stances have raised his profile among conservative activists across the country, accused NPR of having a liberal bias that he said taxpayers shouldn't fund.

"Once again we find the only free speech liberals support is the speech with which they agree," DeMint said. "The incident with Mr. Williams shows that NPR is not concerned about providing the listening public with an honest debate of today's issues, but rather with promoting a one-sided liberal agenda."

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican, said he would add ending taxpayer funding of public broadcasting to his website, on which visitors are asked to decide which federal programs should be cut.

NPR Wednesday ended its contract with Williams, two days after he told Fox News that other airline passengers "in Muslim garb" make him nervous when he's on a flight.

NPR said Williams' comments were "inconsistent with our editorial standards" and had "undermined his credibility as a news analyst."

Williams, who reportedly signed a $2 million contract with Fox News, said Thursday night that NPR had used his most recent comments as an excuse to fire him.

"They were looking for a reason to get rid of me because I appear on Fox News," Williams said.

Prominent Republicans quickly jumped on the brouhaha to renew a long-time quest by conservative politicians, first begun by the late North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms in the 1990s, to cut off federal funding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

DeMint is a member of the Senate Commerce Committee. The panel oversees federal funding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which Congress established in 1967.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin led a loud chorus of criticism of NPR over Williams' firing.

"If NPR is unable to tolerate an honest debate about an issue as important as Islamic terrorism, then it's time for 'National Public Radio' to become 'National Private Radio,'" Palin said Thursday on Facebook.

Vivian Schiller, the head of NPR, defended the decision to fire Williams in a luncheon address Thursday to the Atlanta Press Club.

"If you want to be a political activist, you may not also be a reporter or news analyst for NPR," she said.

DeMint said cutting off federal funds to NPR and PBS, the nation's two largest publicly funded broadcast networks, makes good fiscal sense in the current difficult economy.

"With record debt and unemployment, there's simply no reason to force taxpayers to subsidize liberal programming they disagree with," he said.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/10/22/102483/sen-jim-demints-latest-target.html#ixzz13CJspbeW

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@BumbleBeeBoogie,

October 22, 2010
NPR stations didn't fire Juan Williams, but they're getting calls about it
By Leah Friedman | News & Observer

Volunteers taking calls during WUNC Radio's annual fall fund-raiser this week are hearing from listeners who have strong opinions about the firing of NPR news analyst Juan Williams.

Williams was let go Wednesday — in the middle of most local stations' fall fund-raisers — after he appeared on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" and said he worries when he sees Muslims in traditional dress on airplanes. NPR executives said Williams violated public radio's ethics guidelines and undermined his credibility as a journalist.

WUNC, the NPR station in the Triangle, had no part in the personnel move. But that didn't stop local callers from sharing their views.

"We've heard from quite a number of people upset that he was let go," said David Brower, WUNC's programming director.

Brower said he personally talked to 19 people Thursday night after they called in on pledge lines.

Other listeners, though, were supportive of Williams getting the ax and showed it by donating to WUNC.

By today, Brower said, the station is just $30,000 shy of its $1.2 million goal.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/10/22/102476/npr-stations-didnt-fire-juan-williams.html#ixzz13COoU5AB

1 Reply

@BumbleBeeBoogie,

I love NPR but that firing was completely uncalled for and a funding boycott to the whole system until the two ladies who did the evil dead are fired themselves seems not unreasonable.

The stations can and should put pressure on NPR to correct the situation as they are NPR customers and the listeners who are the direct customers of the local stations in turn.

1 Reply

@BumbleBeeBoogie,

Quote:

DeMint said cutting off federal funds to NPR and PBS, the nation's two largest publicly funded broadcast networks, makes good fiscal sense in the current difficult economy.

"With record debt and unemployment, there's simply no reason to force taxpayers to subsidize liberal programming they disagree with," he said.

This needs a rewrite.

DeMint said cutting off funds for his congressional salary makes good fiscal sense in the current difficult economy.

"With record debt and unemployment, there's simply no reason to force taxpayers to subsidize conservative politics they disagree with," he said.

0 Replies

@BillRM,

BillRM wrote:

I love NPR but that firing was completely uncalled for and a funding boycott to the whole system until the two ladies who did the evil dead are fired themselves seems not unreasonable.

The stations can and should put pressure on NPR to correct the situation as they are NPR customers and the listeners who are the direct customers of the local stations in turn.

Well said.

0 Replies

Nixon tried to half the PBS budget. Then Mr. Rodgers saved the day.

Also, NPR is a private non-for-profit. Lumping it in with PBS is kind of silly. NPR does get some grants. This year we each paid $0.0004. If we live to be 100 (we won't), we'll have paid maybe a whole dollar (after inflation) for our entire life. Imagine what a dollar will buy in 211o? Shocked

NPR didn't need to fire him, but they had every right to. It is just like Rick Sanchez on CNN, and E.D. Woods on Fox ("terrorist fist bump").

DeMint's conservative tough guy act won't last more than a few days beyond the election. Then, like so many GOP talking points, they will fade into the background while the republicans get busy on sabotaging Healthcare reform funding, and stonewalling any progress for the next 2 years.

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1 Reply

@failures art,

Quote:

NPR didn't need to fire him, but they had every right to. It is just like Rick Sanchez on CNN, and E.D. Woods on Fox ("terrorist fist bump").

No one question that they had a right to fire the man, however they do not have a right to behave in such a manner and expect Federal fundings not to be place at risk as a result.

For that matter they do not have a right to cry when people who are their customers direct or indirect cut the flow of private fundings to them as a result either.

1 Reply

@BillRM,

BillRM wrote:

Quote:
NPR didn't need to fire him, but they had every right to. It is just like Rick Sanchez on CNN, and E.D. Woods on Fox ("terrorist fist bump").

No one question that they had a right to fire the man, however they do not have a right to behave in such a manner and expect Federal fundings not to be place at risk as a result.

Why would this effect their federal funding? He was not fired for his race, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, etc. Unless you believe that having federal funding prevents a private org from being able to fire anyone, then how does this make them ineligible for money?

BillRM wrote:

For that matter they do not have a right to cry when people who are their customers direct or indirect cut the flow of private fundings to them as a result either.

They get money because their programs are popular. If local stations wish to stop purchasing them, so be it. The local station will have to hope that they can fill the air gap with other programming that will get as many listeners.

Whose crying? Not NPR.

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1 Reply

@failures art,

If you take federal funding you limit your ability to fire someone for exercising their first amendment rights number one.

Second he is or was the only repeat the only black in any similar position so that firing could indeed raise race question as a result.

NPR is not hurting perhaps but if the donators shut off the cash flow to the local stations then they in turn will be hurting in short short order.

1 Reply

@BillRM,

BillRM wrote:

If you take federal funding you limit your ability to fire someone for exercising their first amendment rights number one.

His 1st amendment rights weren't taken away.

Unless you believe that accepting federal funds means that you can't fire any of your employees, you have no argument. That makes zero sense.

BillRM wrote:

Second he is or was the only repeat the only black in any similar position so that firing could indeed raise race question as a result.

Are you saying he wouldn't have been fired if he had been another race? Asian perhaps?

BillRM wrote:

NPR is not hurting perhaps but if the donators shut off the cash flow to the local stations then they in turn will be hurting in short short order.

If that happens, it happens. I doubt it will.

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1 Reply

@failures art,

He was fire for a statement off his job with NPR he did not made it on their dime
and yes you do indeed lost the right to fire someone for an off the job comment if you take Federal funding.

The only black man and he just happen to be fired?

At lest worth looking into.

2 Replies

@BillRM,

Bill, firing him was stupid. But he was not fired because he is black.

1 Reply

@CoastalRat,

Quote:

Bill, firing him was stupid. But he was not fired because he is black.

More then likely not however the fact he is the only black at that level of NPR made the issue worth looking into.

0 Replies

@BillRM,

Shirley Sherrod was fired from a federal job for a comment and while everyone agreed it was wrong, no one said the government cannot fire someone. You do not lose the right to fire someone for cause if you take federal funding.

2 Replies

@engineer,

I will need to look up Shirley but as a general rule you can not fire a large percent of the Federal non-political appointed work force for exercising their rights to free speak.

1 Reply

@engineer,

Shirley Sherrod was told/ask to resign after giving a speak about her actions as an officer of the Federal government and if she had refused more then likely she would have been entitle to a full hearing unless her position was consider to be a political appointment.

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maybe it's just me, but Jim DeMint sounds like the name of a gay night club emcee

of course i don't really know who he is, so i suppose he could be

1 Reply

@djjd62,

Slobbering Barney Frank may have the information you so desperately seek.

1 Reply

@H2O MAN,

see now Barney Frank sounds like the name of the high school quarterback who peaked senior year, never left town and runs a sleazy used car dealership

0 Replies

@BillRM,

BillRM wrote:

I will need to look up Shirley but as a general rule you can not fire a large percent of the Federal non-political appointed work force for exercising their rights to free speak.

The first amendment protects you from government retribution for free speech. If you work for the government, then you are somewhat protected. That does not extend to private employers, even if they have government contracts. Laws against discrimination in the workplace can protect you and if Mr. Williams could make a case that he was fired because of his race, you might have a point, but it is probably easier to make a case that he wasn't fired years ago because of his race since NPR put up with a lot from him over the last couple of years. Moreover, NPR has policies in place that Mr. Williams clearly violated. Now if people want to stop giving to NPR member stations because of this, that is certainly their right, but NPR fired Mr. Williams knowing full well that his ability to exercise his free speech right would be enhanced, so you can hardly say NPR was censoring the marketplace of ideas.

1 Reply

Sen. Jim DeMint's latest target: NPR, over Juan Williams firing

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