Size of the balls Morning Edition is sucking this morning . . . ostrich egg? Cantaloupe?

[hatrack]

Last edited Tue Mar 6, 2018, 10:03 AM - Edit history (1)

So I'm out cleaning the kitchen, putting away dishes, doing some cooking bright and early, and listening to the news.

It's NPR, live from DC and Dallas, since the first primary of this cycle starts today in Texas. And what's on tap today?

Well, let's see, first of all it's the congressman from upstate New York, a Republican, of course, talking all about how he's in favor of Shitstain's shiny new trade war.

Next up - ripped from the political headlines of the Lone Star state - a Latino politician from the Rio Grande - but one with a difference! You see, he's a hyper-conservative supporter of El Pendejo Gordo, a Tea Party fuckstick through and through, and he loves The Wall blahblahblahblah.

Next up - Trade War 2 - Electric Boogaloo! It's the owner of an aluminum company in western Kentucky, and he's really prepped for his interview by dusting off Wilbur (Uncle Sleepy) Ross' Parable of the Beer Can for all us uninformed urban elites.

Top of the hour - and coming up next! Two Texas voters! One's a rock-ribbed Republican, and the other's a Democrat . . . well, he used to be a Democrat. But you know, he didn't leave the party, it left him. And now he's come around to support President Caligula, because reasons.

Click.

[dhol82]

1. Damn, that is NPR?

Did they not have any democrats on for sane comments?

[hatrack]

2. Yep, straight-up goat-blowing . . . .

Sam who?

[pangaia]

22. It's becoming more and more that way...

There is very little PUBLIC about it any more.

[marybourg]

12. To counter the gun friendly dem,

they had a publican woman having second thoughts about her party

[hatrack]

15. Yay, "balance" . . .

[mountain grammy]

24. Yep, there is is.

[KG]

3. Npr - background noise at my office - embarrassing to listen to if you're left leaning.

[Merlot]

18. The local show on NPR where I live are pretty good.

I give it a listen while driving and have found the national news always plays quotes of repubs first and longer, then will either briefly sumarize the dem side, or play a shorter clip.

When someone tells me they listen to NPR, I don't assume they are liberal. I've had a couple people tell me that and I think...then you're really not listening closely.

[Big Blue Marble]

4. Try listening to political podcasts instead.

There are lots of good ones: more than I have time for.

Start with Pod Save America and Lovett Or Leave It.
You will feeel much better.

[J_William_Ryan]

5. NPR

has for years been hypersensitive to being accused of being "leftist."

Back in the Reagan years rightwing nitwits referred to NPR as "Radio Moscow. "

So they make sure the reprehensible right gets its equal time.

There is also merit to the idea that allowing the right to exhibit its ignorance, hate, and stupidity benefits Democrats.

[marybourg]

13. I agree, mostly.

I support balance in news. When I want an echo chamber, I come here. But, sometimes their deference to publican guests, contrasted with their bullying of dem guests, irks

[Nitram]

26. I agree J-William. NPR is one of the best sources of goodd information around. Letting both

conservatives and liberals express their opinions within the larger context NPR always provides is not propaganda. It is good reporting.

[QC]

6. NPR Nice Polite Republicans.

That's been the case since the GOP started threatening their funding.

[barbtries]

7. NPRR

national public republican radio.

who owns them now i wonder. i generally have to put in my CD when politics comes up in the car.

[a kennedy]

8. I'm done with NPR.......used to enjoy my local talkers, my favorite retired, so I've just quit

listening to them at all now. The national talking heads are just sickening, so, no more NPR for me. Ugh.....

[world wide wally]

9. Satellite radio!

Beats the hell out of Fox Lite

[spike91nz]

10. Ruining

Their brand for the loyal listeners so they can privatize it without protest or resistance. Theil strategy style I suspect. They have been talking about cutting it lose for a while.

[dae]

11. They must be concerned about their funding.🙂

[infullview]

14. The Koch brothers contribute bigly to NPR

... and I'm sure it comes with strings. While we're at it, let's talk about Front Line - another supposedly liberal Bastian. I watched an episode of Front Line which covered power line cancer clusters. Not once did they cover the carcinogenic defoliants used to keep the growth of trees and scrubs in check. Not once did they analyze high voltage ionization of the air and air quality around high tension wires. They focused on EMF (electro motive force) which is probably not the cause of cancer. Guess who funded the show and the research? Yep. GE power systems. Talk about your misdirection. I was so mad I sent email to the producer haven't watched the show since.

[lark]

16. Koch, the destroyers, are now in charge there.

NPR is now a repug bastion and I don't ever listen to them anymore.

[CatWoman]

17. Trade War 2 - Electric Boogaloo!

[steve2470]

30. +1 loved that too! nt

[central scrutinizer]

19. Neutered Poodles for Republicans

Been craven lap dogs for many years

[dhol82]

20. NPR in NYC seems to be OK

The six minutes of news at the top of he hour never seemed obviously slanted rightward.
Used to listen on my drive to and from work. Loved most of the programming.
Brian Lehrer always seemed pretty liberal.
Still remember way back when some conservative railed against it as being totally biased left. I thought he was strange.

[ffr]

21. Conservative money has taken over even public broadcasting. They're no dummies.

In one respect, you have to admire how simple their plan is, to keep spewing out their talking point propaganda. It's working. At least on those too simple minded to see through the BS.

[Nitram]

25. No, conservative money has not "taken over public broadcasting."

Quite the contrary. A larger percentage of their funding than ever before is coming from the public. State and federal funding has dropped significantly. FFR, could you provide a link demonstrating that "conservative money has taken over public broadcasting?"

[Nitram]

23. I heard the same sequence. I strongly disagree with hatrack's characterization of the reporting on

NPR this morning. The aluminum/steel trade war Republican was asked a number of very good, relevant and hard-hitting questions, such as, "Congressman, are you saying this threat to have a trade war is just a ploy?" There is an important primary coming up in Texas, and I was fine with hearing NPR's reporting about both the Democratic surge there and what ultra-right wing, anti-immigration Publicans are saying. It sounds almost like hatrack wants a liberal version of Fox News.UI have the intelligence and knowledge to listen to Publican's opinions and stands without being swayed. On the contrary, I like to know what we're up against, and how nutty a lot of what they believe actually is.

[hatrack]

31. No, I don't want a liberal version of Fox . . .

What I'm tired of is the same old NPR formula:

"President Trump today announced that he's imposing tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum, so we're going to interview a Republican politician on the topic."

"Texas may shape up as a pivotal state in this year's mid-term election, so we're going to interview a Tea Party Republican politician on the topic."

"America's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Treaty could have substantial long-term impacts on global efforts to control rapid climate change, so we're going to interview some guy from the Competitive Enterprise Institute on the topic."

"Gun control law is emerging as a potentially major issue in the mid-terms, so we're going to Florida to interview a group of heavily armed right-wing militia members as they snort meth and hold each others' nuts."

Maybe DW, AFP and the Guardian have spoiled me, and if I want to see people bend over backwards in search of "balance", I'll wait until the Chinese Acrobatic Theater is in town.

[aggiesal]

27. El Pendejo Gordo ...

[cilla4progress]

28. I've actually noticed NPR making many veiled digs

v. trump admin. Some are more obvious than others.

[Scruffy1]

29. National Petroleum Radio

Most of their funding comes from corporate sponsors. What do you expect?