Bizarre Free Speech Argument: White House Can't Have an Opinion About Journalism »
Posted By mesodude 1 month, 3 weeks ago in Political OpinionThat's clearly what's being pitched by more hysterical Fox News defenders in the press corps who are trying to mainstream this completely unique notion that if politicians, and specifically if White House administration members, publicly criticize the press, that means they're trying to police and control it.
It's sort of ironic. Fox News defenders, in the name of free speech, now apparently want to ban the Obama White House from having an opinion about journalism. They want to take away the White House's free speech right to step forward and correct the press.
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Klarissa1 month, 3 weeks ago
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The White House and any citizen has the right to criticize or comment just about anything.
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What is disturbing is the use of the power of the White House to try to silence criticism.
And, remember, criticism is not necessarily "facts", it is not necessarily "truth", and it can definitely be opinion.
Another "ism" - truth is merely solidified opinion (including the White House "truth") -
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Klarissa1 month, 3 weeks ago
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A short quote from another article on media matters (a far left website.)
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"But I think when many journalists defend Fox, they're really defending themselves -- they're acting out of fear that they, too, will one day be branded illegitimate." -
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icono11 month, 3 weeks ago
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Read the First Amendment with the following definition of abridge in mind;
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abridge;
1 a archaic : deprive b : to reduce in scope : diminish
2 : to shorten in duration or extent
3 : to shorten by omission of words without sacrifice of sense : condense
Please note Definiton 1. It is probably the definition the founding fathers had in mind during the late 1700's when the Constitution was written.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
It basically states that Congress cannot abridge the freedom of speech or of the press. It says nothing about the President not trying to abridge the freedom of speech, which if he does through actual actions against the press such as what Nixon tried to do, places him above Congress and basically the First Amendment.
However 0Bama's opinion is just that, an opinion, and should be taken as such. Now what people do with that opinion is another 'issue' entirely.
I've noted that Fox has a definite opinion about The 0 Man, so as a 'ex mea sententia' 0Bama can have an opinion about Fox via the First Amendment, which he has implied 'that they, FNC, are a source of opinion not a source of unbiased news as he, 0Bama, understands unbiased news'. Yet 0Bama, basically by the Constitution, cannot do anything of a material sense with out the consent of Congressional legislation, which if that happened, would usurp the spirit of Constitution and therefore be illegal, to abridge FNC's Constitutional right to free speech and of course, 'opinion', in the 'archaic sense' of the word. -
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FairNBalanced1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Exactly right, Klariss,
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We saw this recently when the White House tried to ban FOX from the "pool" interview. The Obama administration failed in its attempt to manipulate other news networks into isolating and excluding Fox News, "No, if Fox can't be part of it, we won't...
A fine moment. -
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noahjw121 month, 3 weeks ago
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Klarissa, isn't it funny how anyone who doesn't agree with the Fox News conservatism is 'far-left'. Pravda was a far left media source - Media Matters, who you quote above, is left of centre, dedicated to correcting conservative misrepresentation (for which they have been very successful).
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Obama and the Democrats have been very thick skinned, through the whole health care debate when they were accused of planning 'death panels, through the debacle on Obama giving a speech to America's school kids, which conservative media twisted into 'indoctrination'. To say they can't take criticism is absurd. But lets just come right out and say it - Fox news isn't journalism - it is right wing cheerleading.-
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noahjw121 month, 3 weeks ago
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Tasine, thats just inaccurate. other news outlets are owned by corporations and have at best a middle of the road approach. To get left wing media in the U.S. you have to go to really marganilized entities such as Mother Jones. News media is much more likely to have a 'get tough on crime' story than a 'get tough on homelessness' story, and is aware that its advertsiers are companies, not non-profit societies. I'm not complaining about bias, I'm just stating the obvious - that large media bodies such as NBC and CBS aren't left-wing - they can't afford to be.
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That people like you and Klarissa see them as left-wing shows how right wing and smitten with Fox you are.
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Hhussk1 month, 3 weeks ago
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This is not a free speech argument, and clearly it's a "spin" by the liberals.
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Our government doesn't have the same powers as our people. The Constitution defines this. Targetting a news outlet and trying to shut them down in not granted to them in the Constitution.
By the way, the people have a "freedom of speech"; not the government. For example, in the government, you do not have the freedom to "burn the U.S. flag". -
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