Democrats have fought back and won (about Sinclair)

[stray cat]

It may not be a complete victory but perception is important. Great job DUers.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6293163/site/newsweek/

Oct. 20 - It may have seemed nearly as improbable as the Boston Red Sox taking a playoff series from the New York Yankees. The Democrats, long derided for their reluctance to go for the political jugular, won a round of behind-the-scenes smash-mouth politics. Venting in a language that persuades even the most ideological Republican, they attacked the stock price of the Sinclair Broadcast Group. The result: Sinclair caved in to pressure and decided not to air the anti-John Kerry documentary "Stolen Honor." Instead, the company said it will broadcast excerpts from the film as part of a news program, “A POW Story: Politics, Pressure and the Media,” at 8 p.m. ET on Friday. In a statement, the company claimed that it had never publicly announced plans to run “Stolen Honor” in its entirety.

The Kerry campaign claimed it had nothing to do with the coordinated assault by Democratic operatives on Sinclair. They don't need to, they said. "People don't have to be whipped up about this," said Kerry spokesman Chad Clanton. "You don't expect your local TV station to be pushing a political agenda two weeks before an election. It's un-American."

[Q3JR4]

1. Um... Yeah...

They're still "pushing a political agenda...."

[pmbryant]

2. It's a bait and switch. They're still using public airwaves to smear Kerry

From Josh Marshall (emphasis added):

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_10_17.php#003734

Sinclair made a largely cosmetic retreat. They won't show 'Stolen Honor' in its entirety -- only, presumably, the most inflammatory parts, along with some padding whining about media bias.

Despite the fact that they've moved the program to Friday and later in the evening, they're still forcing most of their stations to turn over an hour of the airwaves to what seems certain to be an hourlong anti-Kerry smear just before the election.

Unfortunately, I sense they have fooled many into thinking they've backed down. But they haven't.

Anybody who is concerned about this should not be lulled into a sense that Sinclair isn't still using its control of the airwaves in many households throughout the country to game the election. To see what more you can do head back to the Sinclair Boycott website.

[Atman]

3. We won nothing

Except the satisfaction of seeing the Smith's lose lots of money, which they will quickly make up by buying up all of their stock at deflated prices.

Ever seen "The Hudsucker Proxy?"

The Smiths just get more money, and still get to air their Kerry smear. They got a huge advertising campaign out of, and they will change nothing. It will still be an attack program.

[cybildisobedience]

4. This reminds me of the horror films..

when the protagonist thinks it vanguished the killer/monster and turns its back on it == only to get wailed again.
We cannot consider this a victory -- it's only a hollow gesture that Sinclair was forced into to save face. But the bottom line remains the same: They are still using OUR airwaves to ram their radical political agenda down the collective throat of the American public.
We cannot lose sight of that.

[Technowitch]

5. We're not done yet

They're backpedaling, but Sinclair hasn't backed away completely from airing the film. They're still planning to do so, only in a slightly different format -- a classic bait-and-switch.

We need to keep the pressure on.

[Tsiyu]

6. A Journalist said 'Democratic operatives?"

What the hell kind of media-whore moniker is that? Democratic OPERATIVES?

How about ordinary, everyday citizens tired of a corrupt government and a complicit, even bootlicking media?

Democratic OPERATIVES???????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wtf:


msnbc needs to update the skill sets of some of its writers, methinks.