Yes-23 » MSNBC

Letter to Charles Gonzales, 20th Congressional District, TX

RodZ — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:03:36 +0000

The Honorable Charles Gonzalez

Dear Representative, it has been reported by Dylan Ratigan of MSNBC in the Huffington Post that health insurance companies are exempt from the Sherman anti-trust laws.

If this report is accurate and true why is this the case? You have stated you want fair and open competition but I fail to see how this can be accomplished if the insurance companies enjoy protection under the law from competing insurance companies.

I also understand from the report that Texas is one of the states that allows this to occur. Why aren’t you trying to have this law changed in order to lower the costs.

Are you so bent on a government option that you cannot support fair and open competition?

I think that Tort Reform and eliminating the exemption from the anti-trust laws would go along way to reforming health care and not cost us billions of dollars.

What is your position on this?

Thank you for your time

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Debate on politics and news doesn’t end with Olbermann’s suspension

Lady Kathleen — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 04:37:11 +0000

Washington

MSNBC host Keith Olbermann will be back on the air Tuesday, after a two program suspension for contributing to Democratic candidates during the 2010 election in violation of NBC News policy.

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But the debate over what standards should apply to cable personalities who cover politics is likely to continue as the distinction between news and political organizations continues to blur.

Neither Fox nor MSNBC is really a news organization, at least not in the traditional sense, American Journalism Review editor Rem Rieder wrote Friday on his blog. They preach to the converted, they fire up the base.

As Mr. Rieder noted, The situation is dicier in MSNBCs case because of its relationship with NBC News, which remains in the news business.

MSNBC President Phil Griffin released a statement Sunday saying after several days of deliberation and discussion, I have determined that suspending Keith through and including Monday nights program is an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy.

The suspension, which took effect Friday, triggered a sizable protest from Mr. Olbermanns audience, MSNBCs largest. An online petition calling for his return, organized by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, had gathered more than 300,000 signatures by Sunday, the Associated Press reported.

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In response, Olbermann tweeted, A quick, overwhelmed, stunned THANK YOU for support that feels like a global hug.

As first reported in Politico, Olbermann made $2,400 contributions to the reelection campaigns of Arizona Democratic congressional candidates Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords. He also contributed $2,400 to Kentucky Democratic Senatorial candidate Jack Conway.

The contributions violated NBC News policy which says that those covering politics cannot contribute to campaigns without prior approval from the news organizations boss effectively a ban. Olbermann co-anchored MSNBCs election night coverage. His superiors did not find out about the contributions until a Politico reporter asked about them.

[The Monitors ethics policy requires written disclosure to the editor of financial contributions to any political or public issue campaign. Written disclosure is also required of any conflict, potential conflict, or appearance of conflict between the performance of journalistic duties and any outside business, financial, political, or other interest.]

Rachel Maddow, whose program follows Olbermanns, argued on the air Friday that there was a major difference between MSNBCs approach and the policy at Fox News. Olbermann was disciplined for his political contributions and Fox does not have a similar policy for its hosts or commentators, she noted. For example, Fox News host Sean Hannity faced no adverse consequences for giving $5,000 to the political action committee of Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) in August. Foxs position is that Mr. Hannity is a conservative talk show host, not a journalist.

News Corp, the parent company for Fox and The Wall Street Journal, also made million dollar contributions in the 2010 election cycle to the Republican Governors Association and to the US Chamber of Commerce, both major players pushing Republican candidates in the election.

Their network is run as a political operation, Ms. Maddow said on air Friday. Ours isn’t. Yeah, Keith’s a liberal, and so am I. But we’re not a political operation Fox is. We’re a news operation. The rules around here are part of how you know that.

But rules that allow on-air personalities like Olbermann to both offer political commentary and host election night coverage have the potential to confuse viewers about what role a person is playing. As Kelly McBride, an expert in journalism ethics at the Poynter Institute, told the Associated Press, Its getting harder and harder to draw the lines in general, she said. The public doesnt spend a lot of time differentiating between commentators and journalists.

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Joe Biden, Best Comment At The Summit

RodZ — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:30:22 +0000

I watched the entire health care bill summit yesterday. It was entertaining political theater at best. Joe Biden actually made the most intelligent statement of the day when he was giving his opening remarks. Our VP said he had no idea what the American people were thinking. This is a very telling statement that I think could be said of almost every politician in that room. I think the Democrats have no clue what the American people want and in the case of the health care bill I don’t think they care. The Republicans claimed to know and reduced what they think to, “scrap the bill and start over.”

I don’t know what the rest of America wants but I agree that they need to scrap that 2700 page monstrosity and look at true reform and cost reduction. I listened to both sides and could find valid arguments coming from both sides. It is evident that reform and cost reduction is really needed in this industry. One would think, with the resources available to the Congress, they could identify the cost drivers, government law and regulations that are driving the cost increases up and fix the problem. First they would have to set aside their ideological differences and work together. I think this is no longer possible in Washington.

The talking heads were interesting to watch as they analyzed they event. I watched Fox News and MSNBC. Chris Matthews was beside his self on how well the President and the Democrats controlled the meeting and seemed convinced that the bill will be passed. Fox folks seemed sure it was a set up to get public opinion on their side so they can take the reconciliation route and not get hammered in the 2010 mid-terms.

I don’t know what to think except that with a bill this size one has to know that a one day meeting after a year of contentious debate was not going to provide consensus. There is a big ideological difference between the two parties on this subject. I do know that we, the American people, will not have reform that will do what we need and it looks to me that we will have a bill that increases our costs, taxes and is mandatory. America is in trouble when the government tells us we have to buy something at prices they determine.

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Sarah Palin, Tea Party: Is The Left Afraid?

RodZ — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:36:41 +0000

I watched the MSNBC screaming heads go crazy over the Tea Party folks and Sarah Palin. It is just funny to watch them spin the political impact of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party people. As you know they paint Sarah as dumb and the Tea party as an extreme right, out of control, bunch of stupid people. They are not any of those things.
Do I want Sarah Palin as President? Absolutely not, but not because I think she is dumb. I believe that like Obama, she does not have the knowledge, skills or experience to be the President of this country. We have seen the results of leadership based on an extreme ideological agenda coupled with inexperience. I don’t want a repeat of that even if it is coming from the right.
The majority of Tea Party people are every day folks like most of America, they want our government to work for us. It seems to me that responsible leadership can sit down together and compromise on important issues without bankrupting our country or forcing us to live with one sided legislation that benefits no one except the politicians and the special interest groups. I believe that the majority of Tea Party people want the same thing.
Is Sarah going to run for President? Who knows, I do know that she is driving the left crazy because they see her as less than intellectual and not in the same class as they are. The intellectual snobbery that the screaming heads put forward towards her is the same as they put forward towards Bush. Sarah is just like most Americans, plain spoken, hard working and knows that if presented an opportunity to enhance their life one should take advantage of it. So she wrote a book, so she gets paid for speaking, so what? If you look at all the “retired” politicians you’ll find them doing the same thing. More power to her for making a buck.
The Screaming heads are upset about her Face Book page, calling it juvenile, I guess they don’t realize she is reaching over a million people and the number is growing. Maybe they do realize that and that is what is upsetting them.
Say what you want about the Tea Party and Sarah, they speak to the people, not down to them and they are raising awareness of the lefts political agenda. The good news to me is that because of these actions the people of America are becoming more involved in the political process and their government.

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Pelosi just plain lies about house healthcare reform bill !!!!

RodZ — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:00:03 +0000

Our power driven speaker of the house is just plain lying. Her obsession with power is obscene. Speaker Pelosi is the most far left liberal speaker of the house from the most liberal state in the U.S. and the most liberal city in the country we have ever had. If you really listen to her rhetoric, her agenda is quite clear. In a press conference this month, touting how she finally achieved one of her agenda items. Pelosi said “since coming into POWER as a freshman senator.” this is quite telling. It is quite clear to me that she is obsessed with POWER. Pelosi has no regard for the people of this country, she has no regard for our rights as citizens, she is only concerned with her continued status and power.

Pelosi is extremely wealthy having taken advantage of the opportunities afforded by a capitalist economy, an economy that she has no regard for. The evidence of this is obvious if you look at her total disregard for how she is wasting our tax dollars.

This bill does nothing to reform the employer based system of healthcare, it does nothing to reform litigation (tort reform), it does nothing to end the exemptions from anti-trust laws, it does nothing to guarantee portability. Oh it will end denying exemptions because of pre-existing conditions, but what is going to happen to the rates of those of us who have healthcare insurance?

When will these “reforms” be implemented? After the next elections? Hell this is a flagrant move by the current folks in power to say look what we did, stay in power and let “we the people” pay the freight.

How can this reduce the debt? isn’t this more like buying something on sale and saying I saved money. NO! you spent money.

Even MSNBC is starting to question the banking bailout. Even MSNBC is starting to question some of the policies coming from our legislators. The only ones at MSNBC who still blindly follow this leadership are the talking heads like Keith Olbermann, Ed Shultz and Rachel Maddow. Who the hell is Ed Shultz any way?

I love it when we get the Congressmen/woman coming on air and saying we should have the same coverage they get. Did you know that federal employees pay on average $400 per month for family high option? Did you know that the Federal Government picks up the other two thirds. The total cost is about $1200 a month. Do the math, it is around $14,000 per year. Tell me how many people can afford $400 per month let alone $1200. The question is, will the government pick up the two thirds for all non-federal employees? Will all of our taxes go up to cover this cost.

Before we all celebrate a victory ask yourself this question, what did we win? what did we really achieve?

Why in the world are we rushing this bill through when it won’t even be implemented until a future date, least a year, maybe two out? What is the con? Oh I know it’s just a big political game with catastrophic results sometime in the future.

How can anyone believe this is good for the country or really accomplishes the goals and desires set forward by President Obama or the people of this country? I know the Healthcare system needs fixed, I know this bill will not get the job done.

Finally, Speaker Pelosi, do you actually believe “we the people can’t add? You can’t fool us about the cost by breaking out 250 billion into a separate bill. We may not be as stupid as you think we are.

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Obama Administration vs Fox News

RodZ — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:39:34 +0000

I watched CNN this morning and was delighted to hear what Rahm Emanuel had to say. It was enlightening.

For sometime now President Obama has been making comments concerning Fox News coverage of his policies. He is quite concerned with the coverage he is receiving on this network. It appears that he is using his bully pulpit to infer that Fox coverage is inaccurate and unfair.

Rahm Emanuel stated on CNN Sunday morning that Fox News was not a legitimate news organization and the administration was concerned that CNN and other networks would follow Fox’s lead. I assume in pursuit of higher ratings, or perhaps the truth?

I listen to Fox News daily and find the hard news coverage accurate. I listen to the commentary shows and get what I expect, more conservative opinions, and negative reaction to the Presidents policies.

I also listen to MSNBC daily and find the hard news coverage accurate. I listen to the commentary shows and get what I expect, more liberal opinions, and positive reaction to the Presidents policies.

I wonder why Rahm Emanuel and President Obama do not place the same criticism on MSNBC. Could it be because MSNBC is a staunch supporter of the Presidents policies? In my opinion the majority of the news media is “in the tank” for the President and his policies. Fox is not.

I keep saying that the extreme left is applying the same old tactics of attack and destroy by whatever means necessary to achieve their goals. These tactics include discrediting or silencing anyone who disagrees with their position.

We the people have been called many names for participating in the Tea Party demonstrations, Fox News is now on the hot seat and the insurance companies are now the enemy.

In my opinion, if you have to demonize the opposition your ideas are probably not very good. If you have a product folks like, you will not have any problem convincing folks to get on board.

Maybe Fox coverage is swaying public opinion of President Obama’s policies. If this is the case perhaps MSNBC and the rest should follow the Fox lead because apparently Fox is doing something right and the public finds them believable.

I am sure the current administration is very concerned with public opinion. You can tell by how they continue to ignore “we the people”.

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