Dem Congressman in Fundraising Pitch: NPR Last, Best Hope Against Republicans
They [Republicans] know NPR plays a vital role in providing quality news programming – from rural radio stations to in-depth coverage of foreign affairs. If the Republicans had their way, we'd only be left with the likes of Glenn Beck, Limbaugh and Sarah Palin to dominate the airwaves….
Arguably, the only surprising thing about that quote is its source: A fundraising appeal by Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), who is the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Here's Juan Williams, canned some time ago by NPR, writing why this is the reason he is now in favor of ending taxpayer subsidies to the network:
With that statement Congressman Israel made the case better than any Republican critic that NPR is radio by and for liberal Democrats. He is openly asking liberal Democrats to give money to liberal Democrats in Congress so they can funnel federal dollars into news radio programs designed to counter and defeat conservative Republican voices.
Rep. Israel has unintentionally endorsed every conservative complaint about NPR as a liberal mouthpiece.
Hat Tip: Patrick Gavin of Politico.
I agree wholeheartedly with folks ranging from Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) to liberal bellyachers that the fight over NPR, PBS, and CPB is chump change when it comes to the La Brea tar pits that is the fiscal deficit and all that. And I do think there's something pathetic about a GOP house that rushes through an anti-public-broadcasting bill but essentially fiddles as the federal government spends more and more money, etc. But it's also true that there's no reason not to cut stuff simply because it's small.
Some recent Reason coverage on the most recent flap.
And here's a recent Reason.tv vid on the debt ceiling question:
For more info on debt ceiling go here.